Grizzly Bears
by Ava Chanel
Summary: So exactly how does one go about pursuing a relationship with a gorgeous, temperamental half demon who could also rip the world asunder just by thinking about it? Beast Boy sure as heck wasn't going to find a copy of that particular self help book, but by always being in such close proximity to her, he figures he'll just have to learn by doing. Cover art by Olifuxart!
1. Prologue: Indoctrinate

**A/N:** _Not to fret, there shall be updates on the shorts since they're pretty easy to write and I have all the prompts written down. This right here is my experiment project. Not meant for the young ones. If you like BBRae, smut, and very complex relationship dynamics, you've come to the right place. Keep in mind this takes place way after the series and thus, characters may seem a bit OOC, but they are merely grown up at this point. Please enjoy._

* * *

 **Grizzly Bears**

 _"I would rather die of passion than of boredom..."_

\- Vincent van Gogh

* * *

 **Prologue:**

 **Indoctrinate**

* * *

 _9610._

The gold gilded numbers shone under the shoddy, flickering lights of the hallway. He stood outside her door, and tried to tell himself that he could handle this.

In the distance, he heard the elevator doors ding, and then slide open. Feeling suddenly self conscious of his stature, he tried to pretend like he wasn't being some creep stalking the strange, quiet girl who lived in apartment 9610. He hid beneath his cap and the collar of his plaid dress shirt in a futile attempt to go unnoticed. Not that it would help much; the whole green thing sort of gave his identity away. If he was being honest, he hadn't even built up the courage to even _knock_ yet. That didn't mean he couldn't pretend that he had. As he peeked out from beneath the lid of his hat, he made eye contact with the gentleman walking down the carpeted hallway towards him. The older man gave him a friendly, closed mouth smile and nodded at him curtly. Garfield did his best to return the notion, but his nervousness was getting the better of him.

Once the man had disappeared beyond the corner of a wall, Beast Boy let out the shaky breath he'd been holding. He then looked back up at the daunting, plated numbers on the door and remembered why he was there again. He took in a deep, steady breath, and hesitantly lifted his fist up towards the entryway. With his heart racing and the anxiety making him break out into a steady sweat, he slowly rapped his knuckles against the wood of the door, once, twice, three times. The sound of his knock seemed to echo and reverberate in the otherwise empty hallway of the ninth floor.

Then the waiting began.

He could hear her come to life just beyond where he stood, right through the paper thin walls of the building complex. There was some audible shuffling, and then nimble footsteps growing closer. He gulped and braced himself for impact. He adjusted his hat, smoothed out his shirt, and prepared to give her an honest, toothy grin.

He heard the locks coming undone, slipping out of place, and then the handle turning. The door swung open with a gust of air, and then she was standing before him.

She looked a bit disheveled, like he'd just awoken her from a much needed nap. Her straight, dark hair looked unruly, and her amethyst toned eyes were half lidded as she stared back at him with mild disinterest. The small, red gem in the middle of her forehead gleamed in the faint, fluorescent lighting. She was barefoot, and wearing a baggy grey sweater matched with a pair of tiny black shorts.

"Hey, Rae," he stammered when he finally recovered his voice.

He couldn't help but feel like he sounded as croaky as a prepubescent boy.

In response, the elfin woman stepped aside and left her doorway wide open in invitation. All the lights were off, with nothing but the faint rays of daylight filtering through her windows to cast long shadows.

Beast Boy licked his dry lips and stepped forward with uncertain legs, crossing the threshold in a single stride. Once he was in, she closed the door behind him, putting all the locks back in place. In the mean time, he managed to distract his rampant mind by taking in the appearance of what Raven now called home.

It certainly lacked the dark decor her room had had back in Titan Tower, he noted. If anything, her small, shoe box of an apartment was pretty barren. The kitchen was compact and on the right side of the room, only containing the bare necessities, while the entryway led directly into an equally small living room. There was a single love-seat couch in front of a forty inch, flat screen television set, an old coffee table, a tall, black lamp in the far left corner, and two massive, oak bookshelves crammed with most of her reading material next to the balcony curtains. He was willing to bet she had a matching set in her bedroom.

On the left, there was a short hallway leading to two sets of closed doors. All the walls were painted a chalky white, and there weren't any paintings or photographs to be seen anywhere.

"Nice place," he finally commented aloud, his eyes wandering about the expanse of space he was in.

In the silence after, he could hear the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall. There was a book left open on the couch cushion, and an indent on the fabric that had been recently sat on. He deduced that she'd most likely passed out on the couch while reading.

So he _had_ woken her up after all.

She walked passed him then, her scent wafting into his nostrils like an old, familiar friend. He could hear the way her bare feet stuck to the cold, tiled floors as she moved gracefully about her abode. He was almost startled by the action; he'd been so used to seeing her levitate along in the tower that he hardly remembered she could walk, too. She stepped into the kitchen and pulled open her refrigerator door, the bright light casting shadows on her delicate features.

"Want something to drink?" She asked him in her staple gravelly voice, with her head still buried in the frigid contents.

Beast Boy scratched nervously at the back of his head. "Have anything fizzy?"

When she stood up, she met his tense smile with a single, raised, inky black brow. He was asking a stupid question; Raven never did drink any pop, and that at least hadn't changed.

"Hah," he chuckled, "on second thought, what do you have?"

"Water, tea, grapefruit juice, and cheap beer." She listed off the beverages on her index fingers.

Garfield fought off a scowl of distaste at her horrible preferences in refreshments. He was a guest, after all, and thus had to be respectful. "Beer?"

"It's not mine, if that's what you're asking. All that stuff tastes like piss to me," she explained dryly.

He briefly wondered if Raven entertained guests often, and why they'd be leaving alcohol in her fridge. Especially since the empath had never been a fan of the stuff.

"I'll go with the beer, then. Help you clear it out before it winds up in the trash," he decided.

"Fine, but I should forewarn you," she began to tell him as she made to grab a can from the open fridge, "this particular brand probably tastes worse than the normal kind." She stuck her hand into the bright, artificial light of her cold box and pulled out a lime green, aluminum can.

Without warning, she tossed it at him.

He hadn't been graceful in catching it, and if it weren't for his keen animal impulses, he'd probably have dropped it on the floor pathetically. It bounced in his hands before he could have a firm grip on it. There was a look of amusement in the demi demon's eyes and a half smile on her lips. Beast Boy was tempted to stick out his tongue at her. Even after all these years, she still got a kick out of watching him squirm.

The can hissed as he popped open the tab, and then took a tentative sip of the cold, hoppy beverage. She watched him intensely with arms crossed, gauging his reaction the whole time.

When the response she was expecting didn't occur, she appeared mildly surprised.

Garfield shrugged in answer to her misgivings. "I've had worse. Did you know Cy tried making his own brew this one time? Now _that_ was disgusting. Not even Star could handle it, and she's got nine stomachs."

A chill ran down his spine at the memory of the taste.

Raven shook her head. "I had no idea Vic had been so ambitious. He always was a mean cook, though."

"Yeah, maybe if you weren't a vegetarian," Beast Boy pointed out, rolling his eyes.

"We should sit down," she instructed suddenly, ignoring his jibe and walking towards her living room.

Her pale toes sunk into the plush of her thick, beige carpet before she resumed her spot on the couch. She put her bookmark between the pages she'd been reading, and then closed the novel to place it on the aged, wooden coffee table. That left a nice, empty space for him right next to her.

His anxiety was back in full throttle, but he walked towards her regardless, as if his legs had a mind of their own.

He was still ever conscious of the space between them and ensured that he was a good, comfortable distance away from her when he'd sat down. She'd pulled up her pale, bare legs and sat haphazardly on them, while Garfield appeared as stiff and awkward as he felt. Raven, on the other hand, looked entirely relaxed, propping her elbow up on the headrest of the couch and staring at him lazily. Garfield cleared his dry throat and placed his beer on a coaster lying on the banged up table before him.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Beast Boy," she said, focusing his attention.

When he turned his head, he found himself staring into her infinite, violet shaded pools.

Her fingers fidgeted along the naked skin of her thighs and kneecaps. "I can't do this alone. Working two jobs is...taxing. I don't remember the last time I got a full night of sleep, or a day off."

As she said it, it was like the exhaustion had suddenly become more apparent. There were discoloured bags under her eyes as well as a gauntness to her cheeks, and she looked even more ghostly pale than she typically did.

"Is it money?" he asked her, concern lacing his tone of voice.

She nodded once. "The government checks no longer cut it, and I've been at this for so long now, I'm not sure how much more I can take."

She clutched her forehead in agony, mussing up a few short strands of violet coloured hair in the process. She grimaced then, her brows furrowing as she elaborated further; "If I don't get in enough time for meditation and proper sleep, my emotions go haywire and I start to lose control of my powers. It's dangerous for everyone."

Garfield touched her shoulder instinctively, reaching out and wishing to comfort her, much like how he'd always done when they were younger. He caught her magnetic gaze upon the moment he'd made the unexpected, physical contact.

"What can I do to help?" He asked her sincerely, being sure to appear sympathetic to her plight.

She looked away then, as if to be burdened with guilt. "I'm not asking for money. Beast Bo- _Garfield_..." She corrected herself in an effort to convey the seriousness of the matter.

At the use of his real name, there was an unsteady inflection in her normally monotone voice.

She searched all the lines and curves of his face, her expression charged with emotion, and he felt instantly helpless in her presence. In that moment, she could have asked anything of him, and chances were he'd do it without a second thought.

"What I'm saying," she confessed breathily, "is that I need a permanent roommate."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Consider this a teaser; a prologue of what's to come. Don't expect any smut for a few chapters, but not to worry, there will be tons of it throughout. As for timeline and the relationship dynamics between the Titans, all of it will be cleared up in the story itself, so just be patient. Let me know what you think and if the concept seems interesting. :) Thanks for reading!_


	2. 1 - Welcome to the Zoo

**A/N:** _Thank you all for such enormously positive feedback. I wasn't expecting it, so I'm pretty floored. I promise to keep this up!_

 _On a side note: the prologue takes place somewhere later on in the actual story and was meant to be more of a teaser tidbit of what's to come in an effort to gauge reaction. As a result, the events in this chapter have occurred before the 'prologue', as will the next few chapters. You'll know when we've reached the point in the 'prologue' in the actual story (which isn't as far away as you may think, so bear with me). This is going to be a very slow burn romance, but exciting parts will come, I promise. Enjoy._

* * *

 **Grizzly Bears**

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **Welcome to the Zoo**

* * *

She was the type of girl he could always pick out in a crowd.

Even after all these years, after not having seen her since they'd both been nothing but teenagers, he could still recognize her just as easily. She was there, just beyond the thick, enforced glass that separated the humans from the animals. People milled about her, each pushing and shoving to get a better glimpse at the pacing brown bear in his most natural habitat, but none seemed stupid enough to mess with her. She was surrounded by screeching kids and their frazzled parents, all of whom were too preoccupied with ogling, pointing and awing at the majestic creature before them to notice the one they also happened to be standing next to.

She leaned forward against the wooden railing, and stared blankly ahead, unperturbed by the crowds around her, and seemingly immune to the charm the massive bear possessed. She was dressed in a casual summer outfit; a purple spaghetti strap camisole, a pair of faded out blue skinny jeans that barely reached her slim ankles, and a set of low top, black converse sneakers. To help avoid the intense rays of sunlight, she also sported a generic ball cap that was clearly way too big for her head. Her hair, still cropped just below her ears, shone a vibrant shade of plum purple in the light of day, while her pale skin gleamed in the brightness of the sun, unburned despite the sweltering humidity. Like everyone else though, she, too, was covered in a thin sheen of sweat from the blaze.

"Logan! What's the hold up?!"

At the sound of his surname, he snapped back to attention and remembered where he was.

He'd been standing in direct sunlight, trying his best not to feel the way it burned the nape of his neck and made the sweat drip slowly down the length of his back and into his pants. In his hands, he carried a large and heavy steel bucket full of still living salmon swimming desperately about in their tiny confinement. He'd entertained the thought of pouring it over his head more than enough times to make him hallucinate that maybe he actually had. The water bubbled softly where the fish came up to the surface, reminding him that it was all just the feverish weather playing tricks on his mind.

With a grim smile, he looked down at the slippery fish before resigning them to their fate; "Sorry, little guys. Circle of life and all that."

He then handed the sloshing bucket over to his awaiting partner who had been standing patiently on the highest step of the tall ladder, scrutinizing the green man below him with squinting eyes. After Beast Boy had surrendered the fish to him, his co-worker then dumped them into the deep pool of dark water in the grizzly's habitat. They splashed along in a shimmer of silver and steel blue scales before disappearing into the dark waters. The pool was designed to resemble a small river with mini waterfalls in an effort to replicate the bear's natural hunting environment. As for the feeding process, it was always the zoo's policy to encourage natural hunting for the animals in their care.

Once they were in the clear, the bear was let back into his home, and Garfield looked around for the familiar flash of purple and white. The grizzly was at the salmon in moments, creating quite the show for all the onlookers fascinated with how he would manage to catch them between his large, heavy paws just by the edge of the frothing waterfalls.

"What's with you, dude?"

Once his co-worker had come off the ladder and was wiping his dirty, wet hands onto his stained, beige pair of pants, he gave Garfield an appraising look. Beast Boy's mentor and friend wore an old name tag that read DANIEL, but most of the individual letters had faded out to spell something entirely incomprehensible and, for some reason, he never did replace it. Dan also had a bit of a gut that hung over his belt and made the buttons on his shirt a little too snug, while his shoulder length, dirty blonde hair was thin, greasy, and receding. Overall, he was just an average guy who worked at the zoo, but appearances aside, Garfield found him to be a very pleasant person to be around. They both shared an unmatched love for animals and thus, Dan ended up being a huge fan of Beast Boy when the green skinned changeling had shown up for his very first training session for the job.

Garfield, oblivious to his friend's current concerns, kept scanning the crowd in an abysmal effort to try and find her again, but she was not where he'd seen her last. Instead, a little girl with blonde pigtails was balanced on the rail by her father as she pressed her upturned nose and hands against the glass, making silly faces at the bear to get his attention.

"I thought I saw...," Beast Boy trailed off, shading his eyes from the glaring sun with his hand while he continued to search.

"Ah, I get it," his co-worker taunted mischievously, wearing a wolfish grin; "You saw a hot girl, didn't you? Come on, spill. Where she at? Sharing is caring, brother."

Garfield wasn't paying him any attention though; he needed to see her again. He needed to know that she wasn't a mirage and that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him from the sheer amount of scalding hot weather he'd endured throughout the long day. He stood on his toes and looked for the blue and white ball cap, the form fitting tank top, and a flash of that familiar, pale skin.

He very nearly missed her again because of a strange man blocking most of his view. There was a tall, dark haired gentleman standing directly in front of her, obscuring most of her smaller frame from sight, and if Beast Boy hadn't been meticulous in his search, he would have overlooked her entirely.

He had initially caught sight of the exposed porcelain skin of her shoulders, and managed to do a double take. Sure enough, she was leaning against a very old tree trunk in the distance, far away from most of the crowds, and hanging out next to the well built stranger as if he were a familiar to her. The two of them were in the shade, and the young man looked like he was getting awfully close to her, very much invading her personal space, if Garfield was being honest. A familiar tension came to life within Beast Boy, and he had to fight off his natural, protective instincts to go to her in that moment. He reminded himself that Raven was always able to take care of herself in most unpleasant situations. Besides, she hardly seemed disturbed by the man's presence or his nearness.

Garfield almost flushed upon realizing that she may have been on a date and that he was shamelessly spying; why else would she ever come to the Jump City zoo on a hot and busy weekend? Ever since they'd been teenagers, she'd made it abundantly clear to him that she didn't like animals, kids, or obnoxiously loud places; three things the Jump City Zoo had an abundance of.

"Didn't think that was your type, Logan. Don't ya usually like 'em blonde and blue eyed?" Daniel fluttered his lashes in an attempt to mock and dazzle the changeling.

It was a good thing the nauseating humidity was already making Beast Boy's face change color because otherwise, his nosy but observant friend would have picked up on the flush of his neck and ears.

"She's not...that's not what-...I mean, it's _Raven_. She's just a friend," he tried to explain, stumbling miserably over his own words. At this point, he didn't even think the term 'friend' qualified.

Daniel grinned, showcasing the fine gap between his two front teeth. "Oh, hey, wasn't she with the Teen Titans at some point, too?"

Beast Boy nodded once, and they resumed their routine walk around the grizzly bear's arena, cutting through the bustling crowds of sweaty bodies lined up before them. Some of the kids would recognize him as he passed by, pointing and gasping aloud before whispering his hero name to their parents or siblings.

Garfield would smile and wave at them, to which they responded by staring back, wide eyed and bewildered, seemingly stunned by his unnatural green skin and pointy ears. It was one thing to watch him on television or see him on newspaper covers, and an entirely different situation when they would meet him in the flesh.

"Aren't you gonna go say hi?" Daniel asked him, drawling out his words in a higher pitched tone of voice.

Garfield's eyes still darted back between her, her new friend, and the crowd of kids calling out his name. He didn't fail to notice the way she seemed so disinterested in whatever the man she was with was saying to her. He almost chuckled to himself when he realized it was still very much in typical Raven fashion to behave in such a way. She wore that same bored expression that he knew all too well, and her arms were crossed under her chest, closing her off to the rest of the world. Her eyes stared past her apparent date and into the glass window where the grizzly now sat feasting on his catch of the day.

"Nah," Beast Boy finally decided. "She's...preoccupied, and besides, it would be really weird and awkward. We haven't spoken in _years_ ," he offhandedly mentioned, trying to convince himself more than his co-worker.

Anything so that he could excuse his own cowardice.

Daniel chortled loudly and heartily, catching Beast Boy's attention for a moment. "It doesn't really look like she wants the company," he said, wiggling his thick brown eyebrows in amusement.

The man she was with was tall and handsome, built lean like Nightwing, and trying desperately to keep her interested. He was smiling, laughing, and cracking jokes, but nothing seemed to capture the attention of the young woman he stood next to.

"It's not my place to interfere. She's always been able to handle herself," Garfield replied with a shrug.

It was true; he'd always admired her strength. She had easily been the most formidable of the Titans in his opinion. What Raven could do to a person was the stuff made of nightmares. Doctor Light had learned that the hard way. Beast Boy involuntarily shuddered upon recalling that particular memory. Although he'd concede that the goth girl was indeed scary, he couldn't exactly say that he was actually ever scared _of_ her.

"Always did love me a babe who could kick my ass any day of the week," commented Daniel, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Garfield wondered if she would see him too. After all, he wasn't all too difficult to spot, what with the beige uniform, highlighter green skin and hair. Not many people wandered the park grounds looking quite like him. He then wondered if she'd bother to come by and say hello once she'd take notice of him. Part of him wished she would, while the other half argued that he was way too embarrassed and apprehensive to actually face her and have a real conversation. What would he even say?

 _Great weather we're having?_

He had to look away briefly when he saw the other chiseled, muscular man drape his arm around her small shoulders sneakily. Raven didn't flinch at the contact like Beast Boy had anticipated she would. It was almost as if she was used to the personal invasion, but at the same time, she didn't seem to care for the intimate gesture, either. Maybe it was one of those blind dates Star had persisted on setting them up on ages ago, and Raven just didn't have the heart to tell the Tamaranean she'd broken said date's arm.

"Don't go workin' too hard on that crush there, Logan. Girls like that are notorious heartbreakers," his co-worker chimed in.

Garfield shook his head dismissively. "I already told you, it was never like that," he replied.

"Doesn't mean it won't turn into that," the older man rebutted.

As they started walking past the right aisle of road that she was currently standing in, Daniel gave Garfield one last lingering look. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Beast Boy chuckled confidently, but still noticed the pathetic way his heart fluttered nervously in his chest anyways, like a bird trying to escape it's cage. He stared at her one last time, as if to be committing her to memory for the next string of years he wouldn't see her, and only somewhat hoping that, by some miracle, she'd catch his eye.

Her date then swiveled around her and completely obscured her from view so that all Garfield managed to see was his big, strong back in a way too tight black t-shirt. He felt a growl rumble in his throat and had to catch himself before he allowed his baser instincts to get the better of him. He swallowed his pride and walked forward in longer strides, refusing to look in her direction anymore. Somewhat disheartened, he figured there was nothing left to see anymore anyhow.

"We've got work to do, Dan," he reminded his friend coldly, fixing his glare on the crowd of people before him instead of the actual object of his frustration.

* * *

He always liked to stay later than he should have. It didn't bother him if he wasn't paid for it; he just enjoyed being near the animals. He'd spend the extra time keeping them company, often removing his uniform when no one was around, and shifting into a green variation of them. Sometimes they'd play, other times he simply kept his distance and relaxed while they ate or slept nearby. Either way, they never seemed to mind his presence.

After he'd gone swimming with the grizzly, and they'd rough housed one another playfully for a bit, he'd morphed back, stepped out of the cage, dried off, and then quickly put his uniform back on behind a bush. The dip in the cool water had been a refreshing reprieve from the day's unsettling hot spell, and he was grateful for the moisture still matting his hair. It was dark out by the time he was done, with the evening stars just beginning to light up the clear, indigo blue skies, and the moon showering the world in it's eerie, gray glow. In the summer silence, he could hear the nocturnal creatures move about, could almost _feel_ them if he honed in his senses enough. The crickets chirped musically around him as he snuck off the premises.

He moved quietly and carefully, just in case there were any lingering guests still about. Usually, at this time, everyone had gone home for the day and the parking lot would be as empty and silent as a graveyard. On occasion, however, a few punk kids took it as an opportunity to hang out and do not so legal things. He couldn't blame them; it was a perfect spot. They were in the middle of nowhere with nothing but lush forests surrounding them. All the occupied houses in the vicinity were spread out too thin for anyone to make a complaint, and thus, they never got busted. Sometimes, when he'd feel up for it, he'd scare them off by changing into a snarling wolf, but his actual hero days were long over, and so he never took it beyond that. Nightwing's voice was practically in his ear, telling him that rightfully, he should have brought them in to the police station for questioning and a reprimanding. However, vigilante work had never suited Beast Boy, so he settled for putting a bit of fear in them instead.

This night, however, the parking lot was as dead as he'd expected it to be.

Or, it would have been, minus the girl sitting all alone on a small boulder, staring up into the glittering, starry night sky.

Garfield froze immediately in his tracks.

His heart was caught in his throat, and he felt his stomach do that funny topsy turvy thing when he recognized the short dark hair and the lilac coloured top.

He thought about backing away, of backtracking the way he'd come and taking a different route home, but she was already shifting to acknowledge him and he was like a cornered animal. Still dripping with the water that clung to his hair and skin, Beast Boy remained rooted to the spot, seemingly frozen in time and helpless to her suddenly inquisitive gaze.

She'd removed her cap now that the sun had gone into hiding, and the moonlight filtered down and made the red gem in the middle of her forehead sparkle unnaturally. It also gave her pale skin an ethereal glow, and he found that he was unbearably transfixed by her in that moment.

"Beast Boy?" she called out to him tentatively.

Her brows were furrowed as her eyes traveled down from his messy, wet hair to his bland, loose zookeeper uniform. She was trying to wrap her mind around his strange appearance, and the lack of comprehension was evident in the way she scrunched up her nose and parted her lips, eyeballing him quite blatantly.

Feeling nervous and out of place, he smiled sheepishly, and waved. "Hey, Raven."

He immediately felt silly for having done so, but he just didn't seem to know what else to do with his hands. He'd always been unsure of how to behave around her, and that at least hadn't seemed to have changed throughout the years.

Raven then hopped off of the rock she'd been sitting on, and made her way towards him, still trying to make sense of his raggedy presentation.

He was a few inches taller than her now, yet all he could manage to think about was where her mystery 'date' had gone off to this late in the day, leaving her all by her lonesome in an abandoned parking lot.

"You work here now?" she asked him, her eyes focusing in on the haphazard name tag on the left breast of his uniform. Unlike Dan's, it was still shiny and new, and read GARFIELD LOGAN in capital, white letters.

He nodded, and self consciously wiped at the plastic tab with his thumb and forefinger. "Yeah, only part time though. They're pretty happy to have me," he gloated.

He had been stupid to have thought that she'd have greeted him with an embrace or something after all this time. It was true that they hadn't been too close when they were younger, but he had still held out a little hope that she'd missed him as much as he'd missed her and the rest of the gang. Raven had always been reclusive, right up until the end, and despite all of his efforts to build a bridge, she'd remained uninterested in his friendship. They'd all gone their separate ways on good terms though. The halls of Titan Tower had been filled with the empty promises of monthly meet ups, but all the Titans, except for Starfire, had secretly known it would be impossible to coordinate anything. As predicted, none of it ever did pan out, despite the alien princess' hard earned efforts. Someone was always too busy, or out of town, or on some mission for the Justice League or other. Perhaps it was the constant flip flopping that eventually wore down even the brightest and cheeriest of the team into remission.

"I always figured you hated the zoo," Raven professed, bringing him out of his nostalgia trip.

He smirked at her observation. "I could say the same of you. Smelly animals, BO, crowds, crying children, and Raven definitely don't mix well from what I remember."

It almost felt natural to be there, talking to her again like they'd never even been apart at all. However, he'd still be lying if he said he didn't feel the enormity of the rift between them.

Raven looked away after his quip, dark brows knit together in contemplation. She was trying to think of a way to answer him without revealing anything she didn't want to. Beyond her more mature physical appearance, she was proving not to have changed too much after all.

"It wasn't my idea," she began, "I was with a friend..."

She drifted off, and he wondered how chummy her 'friends' could get with her these days without losing a body part.

He casually looked around, making a point to her that he saw no one else about. "Some friend, leaving you behind in a dark, empty parking lot all by yourself," he scoffed, unable to mask his distaste for the man she'd been with.

"It's fine, he knows I can handle myself," she assured him.

"Well, if you need the company, I don't mind hanging around. I know the woods around here quite well, so I can head home pretty much whenever." He hadn't even thought of what he'd offered until he already had.

He was always so used to making himself available to her that he didn't know how else to tread. He desperately tried to think of a way to take it back without sounding like a royal jackass.

"I mean, uh, only if like, you want me to. Obviously I can leave, and I know firsthand that you can kick serious ass when you need to-"

"You can stay," she interjected suddenly.

Then, after some thought, she clarified, "I would like it if you stayed."

He stood there, trying to believe his own ears and somehow failing.

She appeared as unfazed as she always did, as if what she had just said was the most normal thing in the world for her to tell him.

"Uh, yeah, sure. I can...I can do that. I mean, I offered after all. Are you waiting for a ride or something? Can't you just do your teleportation thing instead?"

Ignoring him, she turned around then and went to go sit back in the same spot she'd been in before he'd intruded. Taking the hint, he followed after her, albeit hesitantly. She then patted the small spot next to her with her pale hand.

Being very mindful of the tiny bit of space between them, he took his spot beside her and tried to find areas for his hands to be in that weren't on her.

"I called the cab a while ago. Not many of them come up this way this late, so it's going to take some time," she finally affirmed. "As for using a portal, I'm...trying to use less of my powers whenever I can." A pained look briefly flashed across her features before she brushed it off, self conscious of her own betraying emotions. He knew better than to pry this early in the game, but he made a mental footnote of it anyways.

Silence fell between them then as Beast Boy grappled with what he should say next. Raven continued to peer at the stars above. The only noise came from the calming chirp of crickets in the bush, and the breeze toying with the trees.

"How do you get home?" She queried. He almost sighed of relief; there wasn't much more of the quiet he could take.

Garfield leaned back casually on his arms, staring up into the night sky because it was simpler than looking at her. "Easy. I leave my uniform in a pack behind that bush over there," he paused to point off in the distance, drawing her attention to an area in the darkened woods. "Then, I morph and race back to the apartment. I don't carry much on me, so I end up sneaking in through one of the many cracks. It's a lot easier than you'd think," he finished explaining.

He could have sworn she almost looked amused.

"What?" he asked her when he caught her watching him.

She shook her head in answer, the soft moonlight catching the deep purple hues in her otherwise dark hair.

"It's been so long. Something that shouldn't surprise me somehow still does...," she admitted, the corner of her mouth tilting upward in a small half smile.

He smiled back at her. "How many years has it been, anyways? It still feels like it was only yesterday we were hanging out on the roof of the tower, looking at these same stars..."

"I miss it, too...," Raven agreed wistfully, and they both turned their faces towards the light of the low hanging moon.

And then, suddenly yet calmly, she added, "We should hang out."

He snapped his head in her direction to give her a look of unfiltered shock. "Y-you wanna hang out with _me_?" He blurted.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "That's what I said, isn't it?"

Beast Boy gulped, but the lump in his throat persisted. "Are you sure you mean that?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have said so," she argued, growing more irritable with his pointless questions by the second.

Picking up on her discomfort, he tried his hardest to rectify the situation. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just...well, you'd never hang out with me before, even if I begged or ugly cried outside your door. You'd have sooner licked Silkie's backside than spend time with me," Garfield sputtered, twiddling his fingers nervously.

The annoyance slipped away from her features like a mask that fell away. A sense of relief washed over Beast Boy when the powerful empath closed her eyes and took in a deep, easy breath. When they shot open, she moved in closer, close enough to make him lean back and nearly lose his balance off the edge of the rock. He was staring into her deep, blue-violet irises and trying not to think about how eerily pretty he found them before she'd notice his thumping heart.

He felt her nimble hand brush up against his right thigh, and the touch was nearly electric. He had her scent in his nose when strands of her hair tickled his face; mint and lavender coupled with the earthy smell of her sweat, making it inexplicably _Raven_. She was _intoxicating_ his senses, and his breathing quickened in response.

He was so distracted by how close she was to him that he didn't even notice the way her hand slipped into his pant pocket and pulled out his brick of a cell phone.

Once she had it in her grasp, she backed off quickly, and he watched her flip it open so that the unnatural blue light cast her fine features aglow against the backdrop of the night. He stared at her, still in temporary disbelief of her previous actions. His heart was still hammering against his ribcage.

"A flip phone? Really? What decade are you still living in, Beast Boy?" There was a hint of judging mockery in her tone of voice as she tapped away on his keyboard with neatly filed, black polished nails.

"W-what are you doing?" He implored helplessly.

Raven ignored him, biting her bottom lip as she tried to frustratingly navigate the menu of his dated mobile phone.

"Uh, Raven? Mind giving back my phone now please, or at least telling me what it is you're doing?" He pleaded to no avail, still in the mental process of recuperating from the devastating effect she'd had on him.

Knowing a lost cause when he saw one, his shoulders slumped forward and he decided to wait her out instead. Once she was done with it, she snapped his phone shut and gave it back to him in her outstretched hand.

Just then, he heard the distant wheels of a car turning into the gravel of the large parking lot.

"There," she informed him with a genuine smile, "We've exchanged numbers."

He felt an unabashed heat creep up his neck and into his face and ears despite the cool breeze still drying his damp hair. Raven had slid off of the rock now that they could see the headlights of the cab drawing nearer to them.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Garfield opened his phone and, sure enough, the screen was left at a text message she'd sent to her own cellular number. The word she'd typed out stuck out to him and made his mind grow hazy with pure astonishment.

By the time he glanced back up to confront her about it, she was already opening the cab door, the bright lights casting her long shadow across the grass and gravel.

He read the text again, trying to figure out where it fit in the puzzle that was their relationship. It was only one word, one stupid word that he may have said to her in passing at some point in their adolescence.

The yellow taxi was pulling out of the lot and when Garfield stared into the passenger window, Raven was busy looking into the face of her own phone cradled in her lap, its illuminated screen reflecting into her violet toned eyes, like shards of blue and purple stones.

The message left behind by her was nagging at his brain, and no matter how many times he read it over and over in his head, it still felt unreal that she'd even have remembered such a finite detail. His whole interaction with her that mystifying night had been almost dream like, but the word she'd left behind was real enough. It was the proof he needed to verify that she'd been there with him. She'd sat beside him, stolen his phone in a most unconventional manner, and had been absolutely serious in regards to spending time with him again.

Even after the cab had pulled away, leaving him alone and in perpetual darkness with nothing but the light from his phone to illuminate a small space around him, he still found himself staring into the pixelated screen, mesmerized.

In perfect Raven like punctuation, she'd typed out the simple letters and sent it to herself. Instead of his name to indicate who the sender was, she'd written the following instead:

 _Beastman._

As if on cue, his phone dinged and vibrated in his hand as she sent him a second text from within the cab:

 _Hey Beastman, our first date should probably involve getting you a new phone. How's Wednesday sound?_

* * *

 **A/N:** _I had some trouble with this chapter, if only because it's quite slow paced and is basically just an introduction to the start of their 'new' relationship. I realize I didn't mention this sooner, but this is going to be quite the slow burn tale, so don't expect any smut or the like for a while yet. The prologue, as mentioned before this chapter started, was meant to be a teaser from somewhere later on in the story. This chapter therefore takes place before the event of them becoming roommates, as will some of the following chapters. You guys will know when we've reached the point the prologue is at (which isn't actually too far ahead). Any questions, feel free to PM me, or leave them in a review for me to reply to. Thanks for reading, and, as usual, constructive and positive feedback is welcomed._


	3. 2 - A Single Cell Organism

**A/N:** _Yet again, thank you all for such positive feedback and encouragement. I'll try to keep up and reply to every review that comes in. Without further ado, chapter two._

* * *

 **Grizzly Bears**

* * *

 **Chapter Two:**

 **A Single Cell Organism**

* * *

His brick of a cell phone vibrated and buzzed accusingly against the wooden table Garfield had laid it on.

Like a magnet, it drew his attention. He studied it with a focused observation, following its unpredictable path as it rumbled and twitched to life across the flat surface. He found himself tuning out all the other bustling noises of the bar around him in favour of the phone's pulsation. His eyes seemed to be stuck onto the glowing blue light that emanated from its small screen display. Instinctively, his hand reached towards it once curiosity got the better of him.

"That your secret girlfriend, Gar?"

His intoxicated friend slurred his words, leaning in to examine the name on the LED lit screen of Beast Boy's phone. When he turned to acknowledge the drunken man now suddenly invading his personal space, Garfield's features contorted into a gaping, alarmed mien at his bold insinuation. The shaggy haired brunette only countered with a wide, conniving smirk and suggestively raised brows.

" _Whatsamatter_? Scared Sophie's gonna find out?" He drawled with a throaty chortle.

The lanky youth then made to clumsily grab the phone from Garfield's hand, and managed to only stumble forward, nearly landing headfirst into his lap instead. The changeling grabbed him by the shoulders and steadied him before he became even more embarrassing than he already was.

"Matt, so help me, if you don't cut this out, I'm kicking you out of the band officially," Beast Boy threatened the slender framed, giggling boy seated next to him at the table.

Despite his cool facade, Garfield could still feel the blood rush to his neck and face, as well as the way his pulse bounded upon his increased heart rate.

Secretly feeling self conscious despite his best efforts not to, he couldn't help but steal a glance over to where the aforementioned female was situated, currently preoccupied and in conversation with another one of their friends and band mates. Garfield exhaled in relief, significantly relaxing once confirming that she, thankfully, had not overheard his friend's boisterous comment. Matt remained keeled over in a bout of silent laughter, completely soundless in how hard he was overcome by his fit. Garfield's mouth became a tight line as he glowered at him.

"I said cut it out, man. It's not funny," he tried again through gritted teeth, keeping his voice down so that no one else at their table looked over to investigate.

All his warnings were of no use; Matt was gone, replaced instead with a drunken man-child incapable of coherent speech at the moment. Shaking his head in dismay, Beast Boy went back to examining his phone to see who had messaged him and, in turn, had also caused such an unintended kerfuffle. His face nearly blanched as he read the name blinking at him from the display screen when he'd flipped open the phone.

 _RAVEN_

Had it been purely ironic that Matt had made such a comment when _she'd_ been the one messaging him? Garfield was all too quick to mentally slap that thought out of his head; Raven was _not_ his girlfriend. After all those years of total silence, he could safely presume that he barely even knew anything about her anymore. He'd pretty much come to terms with the fact that that particular chapter of his life had been closed for good, and that wherever she was or whatever she was doing, so long as she was happy, he'd be content. From what Cyborg would relay to him every now and again, it seemed that the whole gang was doing just fine, despite Starfire's cryptic prophecy.

So why couldn't he shake the feeling that the whole debacle at the zoo, and now his phone, was just plain unsettling?

Recalling his last run in with Raven a few nights ago caused his ears to grow hot all over again, like she was in his head and gleaning the very emotions he tried so hard to deny. After briefly reliving the moment when she'd leaned into him and brushed her shy fingers against his thigh, he reminded himself that this variation of Raven was not the exact same one that he'd known growing up. After all, people changed. Surely, even the once anti social, half demon sorceress wasn't immune to that.

"Come on, bro," Matt croaked, bringing Garfield out of his own train of thought, "It's not like she'd care anyways, you know? No offense, but if Sophie was interested, she'd have totally boned you by now. I know _I_ would if I were her. You're one hot piece of green ass."

The carefully veiled, sharp sting of his friend's words was enough to give him a nice, lethal dose of reality, and Garfield tried not to visibly sulk.

He fought the urge to cringe, but his heart sank at the raw, inebriated honesty in Matt's uninhibited statement. He then timidly let his eyes wander to where the pretty, petite blonde was still sitting, giggling at some bad joke someone had told her. Her sky blue eyes twinkled with mirth and it was like everyone around was mesmerized by the sound of her laughter. Then again, she was the only female at their table that night, and easily the centre of attention in their ragtag crew. Garfield looked back down at his phone, but the pixels seemed to blend together in a nonsensical blur. He ignored the way Matt ogled him with a glazed over look in his hazel brown eyes.

Then, the pasty, tall brunette clapped a large, calloused hand on Beast Boy's back, directly in between his shoulder blades, causing the changeling to lurch forward from the unexpected impact. Matt then leaned in close, so close that Garfield could smell the thick stench of alcohol tainting his breath, and whispered, "I'm sorry, man. That wasn't very cool of me."

Wanting to get away from the putrid smell of hoppy beer on Matt's tongue, Beast Boy nodded and held his friend at bay while his features pinched into a grimace. "Yeah, it's fine," he falsely assured him.

Who was he kidding? It still hurt like hell to know that the girl he pined for most would always be the girl he could never have.

"So who's this Raven chick? She sounds hot." Matt draped his long arm around Beast Boy's shoulders, making the changeling uncomfortable in the process.

" _A friend_ ," Beast Boy emphasized, clicking to open and read the message he'd received.

"So, friends go on dates now, huh?" Matt was staring at the text she'd sent him, reading the small font with careful scrutiny.

Beast Boy flushed notably, and tried desperately to hide the rest of the conversation from his friend's prying eyes.

"N-no!" he practically shrieked, shaking his head so that fine green wisps of hair fell into his lashes.

Matt threw his head back and laughed rambunctiously.

Despite Garfield's protests, he hadn't been wrong, though; the message following Raven's outing suggestion was not indicative of their more innocent relationship at all.

 _Chap's bookstore Jump Gardens Mall, 6 P.M._

When push came to shove, it did sound a whole lot like an actual _date_. Heck, she'd even referred to it as one in the previous message. Beast Boy knew better than to linger on that, though. Raven was reaching out to him for _something_. He just didn't know what, but he was curious enough to stick around and find out.

"It's not a date," Beast Boy asserted. "Just clicking with an old teammate."

In that moment, he'd come to realize that a hush had befallen the whole table. One quick look around at the inquisitive faces that were turned to him was evidence enough that they'd all been listening in after Matt's uncharacteristically loud outburst. There were some gasps of excitement from a few of his friends, but Garfield's eyes locked with Sophie's in apprehension. The young woman appeared unflappable yet moderately curious, maybe even somewhat humoured by the discussion of his personal life. He couldn't hold her stare however, so his gaze shifted to the table as he focused on trying to calm his erratic heartbeat instead.

"The Titans are reuniting?"

"Please tell me it's Starfire. I had no idea that aliens could look that good until _she_ came around."

"I've loved her since I was like, thirteen, man. Easily the hottest heroine."

"I don't know. Wonder Woman gives her a run for her money."

"You always did like them a little older."

"Wait, but aren't Starfire and Nightwing a thing?"

"Lucky dude."

"Lucky _girl_ , more like. Nightwing is dreamy."

"I've always been a Cyborg fan, personally. He's got that leadership, charm, and he's seriously underappreciated."

The table then erupted into a much heated conversation and debate about each individual Teen Titan member, and occasionally, some of the Justice League heroes, too. Garfield sighed deeply and glided his fingers through his thick crop of messy hair. It was only when he heard Sophie speak up amongst the throng of voices that he even bothered to tune back in.

"Raven's my favourite, honestly," she disclosed rather shyly, smiling demurely and staring into her fizzy, brown drink. She held the straw between her thumb and forefinger, gingerly stirring the cup's contents among the ice cubes. "She's complicated, sure. Everyone knows there's this evil thing deep within her that she's always got to beat down. You think it's got to be so much easier if she just let it win, right? How much simpler would it be if she just gave in to her demons and destroyed the world as we know it, like her father intended all along? The thing is, she _doesn't_. She purposely picks the more difficult route, the one with all the struggle and hardship. She fights _for_ us. She strives to be a hero, to be good, and I don't know but...I _get_ that. I admire it," the soft spoken girl elaborated.

The imminent silence was followed with a generic murmur of consensus among all those at their table; meanwhile Garfield gawked at Sophie in astonishment. Then, she looked up at him and their eyes locked. She gave him a genuine smile and sent his heart into another frenzy.

"Of course, Beast Boy is definitely tied with her on my list," she was sure to add, following with a small, jovial snicker.

Matt mumbled something incoherent under his breath before nuzzling Garfield's shoulder affectionately. "Gar's the best," he then whispered more audibly, closing his eyes and stroking the changeling's chest slowly.

Beast Boy's free hand combed through the drummer's chestnut brown waves, all the while shaking his head and smiling fondly at him.

"If you guys are reuniting, you should totally bring them out to one of our next shows!" A freckled, youthful boy with shaggy, flame orange hair exclaimed from the other end of the table.

There were loud cheers and glass clinking to that particular sentiment.

Being reminded of what had started this sort of talk in the first place, Garfield glanced back down at the incriminating text message still flashing on his phone screen. The younger Raven he had known would never have taken his passion for music seriously. Whereas she had enjoyed only particular genres, he'd always had an appreciation for almost all types of music. Would she even believe him if he told her he wasn't half bad?

"Maybe," he surmised with a shrug, thinking about his other, too busy teammates as well. The truth was that he'd invited them out more than enough times throughout the years to know that they just weren't coming. He simply didn't have the courage to relay that reality to his new group of friends, though.

With a heavy heart, he settled on the only adequate response to Raven's straight forward instruction;

 _Sounds good. See you then._

After much internal debate, he decided to add in a smiley emoji at the end of his sentence before hitting send.

* * *

Upon inspecting the simple face and hands of his black wrist watch, Beast Boy learned that he was running fifteen minutes _early_.

He breathed in a much needed sigh of relief, and decided that he could loosen up for the first time that day. After all, it was a rarity that he was ever on time for any event other than work, and even then, he'd started getting lazy after he'd gotten the position.

Not that he was _trying_ to impress Raven or anything like that.

He'd worked himself up into such paranoia earlier in the day that he'd started getting ready the minute he'd gotten home from his shift. Initially, he'd just assumed that he could procrastinate like he always did, but then he got to thinking of the mall's busy parking lot and how long it would take him to get a spot that wasn't in Narnia. Not to mention rush hour traffic was always awfully unpredictable in a city as congested as Jump. He'd also taken a tumble in a pile of rhino poop when they'd been charged with cleaning their habitat that morning, and although Dan had found it hilarious, Garfield most certainly had not. As a result, he'd spent most of his shift grumpily wandering the park grounds covered in the horrible stench that made many guests quickly move away from him in disgust.

"Mommy, why's it smell so bad?"

He'd overheard a kid remark outside the giraffes' quarters. His mother's face then scrunched up in revulsion, and she promptly removed herself and her child from Garfield's blushing presence without a word.

At that point, he'd just reckoned that he'd have to fit in a good scrub down before he sent everyone within a five mile radius running. So, when Beast Boy had come bursting through his apartment door later that afternoon, he had hastily stripped off both his uniform and undergarments before hopping naked into the shower for a much needed lather, rinse, and repeat. He honestly had no idea why the concept of spending some quality time with an old teammate was making him so jittery.

Despite the fact that her text message had claimed otherwise, Beast Boy kept reassuring himself that this _wasn't_ a date.

Raven was his friend; albeit an attractive, powerful, female friend, but a friend nonetheless. He had to remember that as he walked through the massive glass doors for Chap's Bookstore & Goods. He wiped his clammy palms on the front of his pants and let the cool, air conditioned store comfortably bring down his temperature. He looked around uncertainly at the modernized shop while he deciphered that he had never adequately been prepared for the possibility of being _early_.

Surprised at his own tenacity and not knowing what else to do with himself, Garfield then decided to find the comic book section of the two storied book store and linger there in order to kill some time. He figured he could peruse some of his favourite titles while slowly battling his anxiety as well as the sharp winged butterflies fluttering dangerously in his stomach.

Trying to take his mind off of things, he started casually browsing the many titles neatly and alphabetically aligned on the bookshelf walls in the comics and graphic novel aisle. There were a few young adults around that were also either reading or looking through the titles currently in stock. One particularly obnoxious preteen seemed to have recognized him, and they winded up getting into a heated debate about Captain America, Hydra, and the Steve Rogers series in general.

Garfield had been so distracted and involved with the topic of conversation that he'd completely missed out on the way his phone buzzed to life in his jacket pocket several times.

"No way, dude. You can't just take one of the squeakiest clean superheroes and say they've been evil all this time! That's not how things work in Heroville, okay?"

"I'm just saying, it was a _good_ twist on Marvel's part."

"How is that a good twist? It makes no sense! Nobody saw it coming."

"That's the point! It was unpredictable."

"Yeah, but it's only unpredictable because it doesn't fit his character at all, duh."

"You don't know what you're talking about, man."

"Uh, Beast Boy here, remember? I sort of did the whole super hero schtick for a living, you know. I also happen to be friends with actual members of the Justice League and the Doom Patrol, so I think I know a thing or two about the genre."

It had been pure chance that he'd caught a glimpse of the back of her trademark violet hair passing by, just beyond the kid's big head. He'd glanced up mid rebuttal and saw the familiar flash of purple in the background, but Garfield remained too invested in his defense and thus, brushed off the nagging possibility that he had really wasted so much of his time.

The girl that stood out to him certainly had the right body shape and size to be Raven, and she was currently standing with her back to him, busy examining the aisle at the very end of the store when she'd stepped into his line of sight. She became a mental note for him to investigate eventually, but only _after_ he'd proven to the kid that he knew nothing about comics and that he was being stupid. Meanwhile, she would continue looking up at the thick, heavy set novels that lined the back shelves of the sci-fi and fantasy section just behind the graphic novel aisle, paying his squabble no mind.

The more he stole quick glances in her direction, the more convinced he was that he had somehow screwed up already. Garfield gulped as his trembling fingers immediately went to his phone when a cold sweat overcame him. He pulled it out only to see that what he'd dreaded most had come to fruition; he was officially twenty one minutes late, had several missed calls, and one new, unread text message. From Raven.

 _Fantasy section. Come find me when you get here._

A surge of annoyance surfaced from within him as he realized she'd practically _expected_ him to be late. The kid he'd been arguing with was still working on his rebuttal, but Beast Boy was finished. He now had more pressing matters to contend with.

"Wait for the next issue, kid. My money is on them probably retconning it and making it all some sort of twisted, unrelated plot point. If I know comics, it's that their infamous for their back peddling from what everyone knows is a horrible creative decision," Beast Boy offered as a parting statement.

The youth had opened his mouth to respond, but Garfield was already brushing him aside and walking down the aisle towards the casually dressed girl with short, purple hair. He placed the latest issue of Civil War face front in its home, and stuffed his hands into his jean pockets.

The musky cologne he'd hastily spritzed on as a last minute judgement call was overcoming his strong sense of smell and making his nose itch. He'd told himself that it was to cover up any of the leftover rhino feces stink, but a tiny, self conscious part of him suggested he was trying to make a good impression on someone, too.

"Raven?" He tentatively called out her name when he was as close as he was going to get without startling her.

She looked up from the book she'd currently been inspecting and met his dark green stare with her amethyst irises. He gave her a lopsided smile, but she remained impassive, even as she judged his appearance from head to toe. She took in his casual day outfit with a slow crawl of her eyes, noting the black and white sneakers, navy blue jeans that were held up on his slim hips with a black belt, his crisp white t-shirt, and unzipped, red track suit jacket. Her trailing gaze ended on his green face where they idled long enough to make him self-conscious and cause him to look away diffidently.

"You smell like you walked out of Nightwing's wardrobe," she remarked casually before returning her attention to the soft cover novel in her hands.

"Uh, thanks I guess?" He gave her a quizzical look that she blatantly ignored.

"Was there anything in here that you wanted to pick up?" she asked him, not paying any mind to the way he sniffed at himself.

He shook his head. "Nah. I usually buy my comics from the small comic book shop in my neighborhood. I like supporting the little guys, even if it is a bit more expensive. Plus, it's more fun talking to people who actually _know_ and respect the characters." He leered behind him at the young punk who was now sifting through the issue Garfield had dropped off on the shelf.

Raven raised an eyebrow at his odd reaction, but said nothing. Putting the book back in its rightful place, she adjusted the shoulder strap of her dark green canvas bag, and turned so that she was facing Garfield.

"Let's go," she urged.

Raven then started walking past him towards the exit without looking back to see if he was following. Realizing that she wasn't waiting on him, Beast Boy nearly chased her down to keep up. When he finally caught up to her, he matched her stride, and they walked side by side the rest of the way.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked her, not oblivious to the way people were trying, but failing, to discreetly stare at them.

It wasn't ever unusual that Beast Boy got long looks all the time due to his unnatural skin tone, but when he was with Raven, he couldn't help but feel that they were thinking along the same lines that he was; that maybe she was his 'date'. Under normal circumstances, he might have stared them down, but for some reason, he only felt embarrassed, and had to back down from their nosy looks.

Raven, on the other hand, remained unperturbed. "I told you," she answered without looking at him, "We're getting you a new phone. I...sort of know someone who'll give you a good deal."

Her pale fingers clutched at the beige strap that went across her right shoulder to her left hip, softly cutting between her firm breasts. Raven wore a loose fitting, wide necked, grey t-shirt that hung off of her left shoulder and exposed much of her pale neck and upper arm. Beast Boy tried not to stare too much at the visible, thin black strap of her bra.

"But I'm perfectly happy with my phone _now_ ," he protested in an almost child-like whine.

She turned her head and stared up at him with widening eyes. "The Beast Boy I knew always needed the very latest and greatest in technology."

His cheeks reddened at her accurate memory, and he nervously scratched at the back of his head. "It's been almost ten years, Rae. I'm not a child anymore. Fancy phones are expensive, and they don't exactly fit into my budget. Not to mention, they're nowhere near as durable these days."

Something changed in the way she regarded him then, like she was perhaps seeing him for the first time since the very last time in Titan Tower. It made him uneasy, so he added, "Besides, if I have to pick between a fancy new phone and the latest game station, I think the choice is an obvious one."

He grinned sheepishly and felt the moment pass.

They had exited the bookstore and were now walking among the throng of people roaming through the mall. Beast Boy had no clue where Raven was leading him to, so he followed on and pretended not to care for the questioning stares they continued to receive.

What an odd couple they surely made.

"How come you were wet?" Her voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts, and he turned his head to acknowledge her profile with intrigue.

"Uhm...what?"

"Back at the zoo. Your hair was wet," she clarified, glaring daggers into the backs of the group of young girls walking slowly in front of them. She finally whizzed past them with Beast Boy on her heels.

"Oh, that," he said as he recognized what she'd been referring to. "To put it simply, I guess you could say that I sometimes hang out with the animals after hours. That night, I may or may not have gone for a swim with a lonely grizzly."

He didn't know why it was so hard to tell her about his secret little hobby, or why it was so embarrassing to have her know about it.

Her features softened and she took a brief moment to glance in his direction. "A grizzly bear? How didn't you get mauled?"

He shrugged. "I shifted."

Was that a flash of concern he caught? She looked away before he could adequately determine her reaction.

They made a sharp turn and Raven seemed to have started walking faster, rearranging her satchel to a more comfortable position on her shoulder.

"Do me a favour and please don't flirt with Madison," she instructed once he'd caught up to her.

There was an inflection in her otherwise monotone voice that told him she was serious.

"Madison?" He queried as they approached a vibrant, lively booth in the middle of the mall lane.

Raven nodded slowly in affirmation. "She's my connection. She's also a...long time _fan_ ," Raven explained, visibly shuddering at the mention of the word 'fan'.

Beast Boy couldn't help but chuckle aloud at her irrational fear. "But Rae Rae, you do know I love me a pretty fangirl. Is she cute?"

The sudden icy glare the empath shot him was reminiscent of the Raven from the good old days. He'd always loved the way the emotions played with her delicate features, rearranging them into a scowl or sometimes, a rare smile. It beat the heck out of her persistent, unfeeling nature, and her otherwise laconic expression.

He raised his hands up in defense, still grinning like a fool. "It's a joke, Rae. I won't hit on her. Scouts honor. Anyways, I'm still sort of offended that you'd just _assume_ I was single after all these years." He feigned a hurt expression matched with the best sad, puppy eyes he could muster without actually shifting into one.

Sometimes, he wished his mouth had an off switch. He regretted the comment almost the second after he'd made it, but knew he'd dug his grave so deep that, at this point, he'd just have to lay in it.

How she responded was not what he'd been expecting, to say the least.

"...are you?" She came off quiet like, demure even. He could see the way she was trying so hard to mask her emotions with a facade of indifference.

Maybe she was just curious.

Maybe she just wanted to know for the sake of knowing.

It was the most logical of conclusions, given their history. Still, Beast Boy couldn't help the way his throat constricted and his tongue felt as dry as a cotton ball.

When the silence stretched on like an opening void between them, he figured he owed her an honest answer the second he remembered how to use human speech. "...yeah, the green machine is still on the market. Be sure to tell all of your lady friends, heh," he chuckled nervously, but his heart was thudding in his chest.

She licked her pale, pink lips, but betrayed nothing else. "I see," she stated apathetically.

He briefly wondered if he should have asked her the same question but, upon recalling the memory of her 'date' at the Zoo, thought better of it. Raven wasn't one to divulge that sort of information easily and, if he was being honest, part of him wasn't sure he even wanted to know.

Beast Boy and Raven had finally come to a slowing halt when they approached the mobile phone booth located in the centre of the pathway. He found that they stood patiently behind a tall, tanned blonde who was currently busy talking to a customer to take notice of them. Raven waited passively to the side out of respect, not paying much attention to any of her surroundings. Beast Boy on the other hand started to glance over at the shiny, small, rectangular devices that were on display, sizing them up against his very own ancient cell phone.

Madison, who Beast Boy assumed was the leggy, fair haired woman wearing a deliciously tight, black pencil skirt and flowing white blouse, was Raven's supposed connection. He knew his hunch had been right because the same older woman practically squealed with delight upon taking notice of the shorter, dark haired girl that had been patiently waiting for her to finish up her latest sale. Without warning, the ecstatic blonde enveloped the half demon into a ferocious and unwilling hug. Garfield almost laughed at the way Raven's eyes grew wide in terror at the sudden, unwanted contact. She made no motion to hug her back, but settled on patting her gently on the shoulder, looking every bit as uncomfortable as Raven could possibly be in such a predicament.

"Rae Rae! You _came_!" The girl cried out elatedly, squishing Raven's head further into her ample bosom.

"I can't breathe," came Raven's muffled response.

Her eyes were practically bugging out, and her cheek flattened where it squeezed against Madison's chest.

She then let Raven go apologetically, blushing at her outburst and fanning her reddening face with her hand. "Woops! Sorry, I just really wasn't expecting you to actually drop by! I mean, you always say you'll visit at work, but you never really do, so I was starting to think you just say that stuff to make me have something to look forward to," the blonde rambled animatedly, her grey blue eyes darting about until they landed suddenly on the green man still holding a cell phone in his hand.

She gasped aloud, her jaw dropping as she took in his appearance. "OH MY GOD. You brought _Beast Boy_?! As in, _the_ Beast Boy?! Shut up!"

"I didn't _say_ anything," Raven rebutted under her breath, annoyed and still rubbing at her sore cheek.

But Madison ignored her; she was way too busy admiring Garfield.

"So, like, you can turn into _any_ animal?" Madison asked him, still examining him in awe.

She reached out and tentatively touched a point of one of his ears. He wiggled them and she sharply inhaled, surprised, before giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Any animal," he suavely told her, grinning wide enough to show off his fangs while also fighting the urge to give her a playful wink.

Raven had told him not to be a flirt for good reason; Madison _was_ cute. It had been so long since a pretty girl actually was star struck by his appearance instead of repulsed or mocking. It boosted his ego to know that he could still charm good looking women with his lean physique and boyish good looks.

"Could you change into a penguin? I _love_ penguins!" Madison clasped her hands together and bent forward so that he could get a good look at the cleavage bursting from her mostly unbuttoned blouse. His cheeks were pink as he tried his best to avert his gaze respectfully.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Raven trying not to scowl menacingly with tongue in cheek. Whether it was at him for disobeying her instruction or at her friend's forwardness, he couldn't be sure. The empath's arms were crossed over her chest and she was forcibly looking away, choosing to aim her vicious, narrowed stare at some poor, unsuspecting fool that happened to be walking by.

No flirting. He thought he could manage at least that, but one look at Madison's fluttery, long lashes and he realized that it was probably going to be a lot harder than it sounded.

"I'd love to, but...thing is, I'd have to get naked first. Otherwise, my clothes would get torn up to pieces and then I'd _end_ up naked. _I_ might not mind being in the nude, but I'm pretty sure stroller mom over there would have me kicked out faster than you could say penguin," Garfield casually explained, his green eyes alight with mirth.

Okay, so he was still a horrible, natural flirt, even when he wasn't trying. He could tell by the way the lines around Raven's mouth deepened, and her eyes became angry slits, that she was not impressed with him. If looks could kill, he would have been slaughtered by now. They hadn't even reunited for more than an hour and she was already agitated by him.

Madison blushed and laughed giddily, covering her mouth with her hand as she slapped him lightly on the chest. "Oh, you," she gushed.

" _Ahem_ ," Raven cleared her throat audibly in a vain effort to remind them of her presence.

She was practically seething, but didn't even spare Garfield a glance when she tried to steer the conversation back to the original topic. "We're here to update his phone, Madison," she coldly reminded her friend.

"Right! Of course!" The sophisticated woman perked up, suddenly all business again. "We've got quite a selection over here. What are you using right now, if you don't mind me asking?" Madison brushed her long, blonde hair behind her ear, still smiling happily at the pair of them, but focusing on Beast Boy.

Raven was evidently not buying any of her saleswoman charm, and Beast Boy wondered how the two ever became friends in the first place. Then again, Madison wasn't too unlike Starfire in a lot of ways, and if he remembered correctly, the two of _them_ had mostly gotten along, despite their glaring differences in personality.

Feeling the two sets of eyes boring into him as he dawdled for time, Garfield knew he had to act before Raven and her friend grew suspicious of his hesitance. Like ripping off an old band-aid, he procured his old phone and bravely showed it to Madison. He was unable to contain his embarrassment when her blue grey eyes grew as wide as saucers and her penciled in eyebrows shot up in astonishment.

"Uhm, why are you using _that_?" blurted Madison.

Raven rolled her eyes. "I said the same thing."

"Hey," Beast Boy objected, "These things are fantastic, okay. Do you know how many expensive phones I've lost working at the zoo? This baby can be dropped in water, eaten by a lion, covered in feces, fall from ridiculous heights, and still somehow function perfectly. Can you honestly say the same about any of these new devices?" Beast Boy was feeling oddly defensive of his choice in mobile phones.

A corner of Raven's mouth tilted upwards in amusement. "You mean to tell us that you put a feces coated phone to your ear every time you have to answer a call?"

Madison snickered at Raven's observation, and Garfield felt his face grow hot.

"I...well, I mean...oh, cut me some slack here, Rae. I don't have enough money to go through phones like a chimp goes through bananas," he argued, scratching absent-mindedly at the back of his ear.

"That's okay," Madison waved her hand in dismissal. "I've got a few options for you that are affordable, durable, and not from the stone age."

She then abruptly turned on her heel, her long, straight, platinum hair swishing with her as she sashayed to the other side of the booth, expecting them to follow after her. He chose to stare at his own two feet rather than her shapely backside, and listened to the gentle click clack of her stilettos against the tiled floor.

When he looked up, he found Raven watching him earnestly before using her eyes to indicate that he should be the one to tag along after Madison. This time, he did as instructed, but also observed that Raven did not immediately join them in their phone hunt on the opposite side of the booth. A wall of other telephone accessories and mobile items jutted out from the centre of the circular table, high enough to hide the pair of them from those on the other side. Beast Boy merely assumed that Raven was just giving him the space and time to decide, unbiased, while she browsed the other goods on display at Madison's little shop. It wasn't like she was going to take off without him or anything. After all; she was the one who had insisted on this outing to begin with.

Meanwhile, Madison had gone over to a section of glass showcases where a few phones sat on display, attached to a thick, corded contraption in order to prevent theft. These particular phones laid out before him were very obviously on the lower end in terms of pricing and technology. Comparable to the section directly over, they were clearly marked as previous years' latest and greatest, whereas the current phones were far flashier and came with higher price tags. Still, at the very least, they weren't flip phones. He stared longingly at his old but compact phone in the palm of his hand. He didn't know how attached he'd gotten to the silly thing until he was moments away from replacing it forever.

The woman beside him tsked. "No. No nostalgia," Madison interrupted his thoughts with a quick shake of her head. "I owe Raven a few favours, so I'm going to help you out. I'll get you on a good, discounted plan, and the phone'll be absolutely free. Any issues, you come see me, okay? The Teen Titans saved our skins more times than I can count, the least I can do is get you a decent deal on a phone. Just promise me one thing," Madison's voice took on a whisper as she leaned in to see if a familiar empath was about to round the corner. When a middle aged gentleman passed by to look over the variety of cases, Madison gave him an endearing smile before sidling up next to Beast Boy until her shoulder brushed against his, and her breath tickled his skin. She smelled like vanilla spice and cupcakes and, if he could, he would have licked her to see if she tasted like them, too.

"Promise me you'll stick around this time," she whispered breathily, taking him off guard. Madison's bright blue eyes locked with his and he found that the bubbly cheerfulness was now replaced with serious concern instead.

It took Garfield a minute to realize what she was talking about, and to understand that she wasn't just trying to seduce him like he'd originally thought. Her hand grabbed at his arm suddenly, clutching it tightly with a firm grip, her long, red, acrylic nails digging through his clothes. She eagerly searched the angular planes of his face, and her features betrayed her age from beneath all the makeup and false smiles. He stared at the way she held onto him, unsure of how to proceed.

"Please," she pleaded, "Promise me you'll look out for her. Whatever you do, whatever _she_ does, don't leave her alone. She needs a guy like _you_ around."

Madison's face was so close to his that Beast Boy had to lean back to maintain a decent distance. He could smell the coffee she'd had earlier fresh on her breath, and see the way her cherry red lip gloss shone on her pretty, pouty mouth.

When he found his voice again, something protective within him surfaced, and his brows furrowed in anger. The thought that anyone was trying to hurt one of his friends, one of his teammates, was enough to get a rise out of the beast within him. "What do you mean? Is Raven in some kind of trouble? Tell me what you know, Madison," he growled, his eyes glowing a primal amber instead of the usual neutral, forest green.

But the excitable bombshell had returned, along with her unnerving facade of cheerfulness. She easily slipped back into her mask, letting go of him and swiftly returning to their earlier conversation about phones as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired. He sensed Raven come up behind him then, and when he turned to acknowledge her, she looked on ahead, empty of any particular emotion and vaguely uninterested in whatever Madison was jabbering on about.

His hands became fists at his sides and he was overcome with an itch to get the older lady alone again, but the more time that passed, the less likely it became. Raven remained in their company, and every now and again, he'd shoot her a concerned, studying glance, only looking away when she'd catch him in the act.

"What are you staring at?" She demanded, calling him out after a few minutes of this suspicious behaviour.

Madison then paused mid sentence, her eyes darting between them in silent question. Garfield shook his head briskly, not knowing how else to reply and hoping it was enough to get Raven off his case. He was left feeling humbled and displaced by her question, so he looked to Madison instead, and signaled that she pick up where she'd left off. All three of them went back to pretending to care about the phones Madison had been in the process of comparing. However, the unnerving incident with the beautiful blonde stayed fresh in the forefront of Beast Boy's mind, no matter how much he tried to push it back. Eventually, he'd grown quiet and had stopped listening altogether, lost in the turmoil of his own darkening thoughts. Picking out a new cell phone was officially the least of his concerns. Instead, he was thinking about the mysterious girl that stood next to him, still ever the enigma, even after all the years that had gone by. The same girl who'd magically waltzed back into his life like she hadn't left at all. He remembered what Madison had told him, and couldn't help the way his guilt greeted his conscience like an old, unwanted companion.

" _...stick around this time."_

He'd always thought that their departure had been an amicable one. After all, the split was unanimous. They weren't exactly teens anymore and, with Cyborg earning a rightful spot with the Justice League and Robin's official transformation to Nightwing, the break up had been inevitable.

"He'll take that one," Raven interjected suddenly, moving to stand in front of him, and pointing out a sleek, simple black phone lying on the counter.

It was skinny and long, small enough to be dwarfed in the palm of his hand. The casing around the screen was a durable, silver metal band, and, although it wasn't trendy, it still looked like an upgrade compared to his old phone. Raven picked it up before turning to give it to him, staring up at him expectantly.

He reluctantly took it from her and felt its easy weight in his hand. Then he met Madison's eager, anticipating stare and took in a deep breath. At this point, all he wanted to do was get this phone business over with and so, he simply nodded his assent and told the older woman; "She's right; I think this'll do just fine."

Raven, for the first time that evening, smiled genuinely. "Throw on a solid case, and it'll serve you just as well as that brick you've been carrying around," she added, turning back to inspect the plain but more sturdy, pricey phone cases behind her.

Beast Boy gave Madison a long, hard look in hopes that he was making her uncomfortable. She'd dealt him a serious blow, and he was not okay with how she'd left it. He somehow knew that he wasn't going to get anything else out of her, however. All the taller woman did was avert her gaze and play the oblivious card to her advantage. That meant that the only other source of information now was Raven herself, and as he diverted his focus to her, he knew that he had his work seriously cut out for him. The Raven he'd known had never been receptive to his antics before and, although they were both much older now, he still felt as if he were navigating an unexplored map. As Madison started praising them for their decision, and going on about the phone's minor features, Garfield decided to tune her out and forlornly peered at the back of Raven's head instead, lost in thought.

"With a contract, I can get you the case free of charge," Madison exclaimed happily, beginning to pull out and arrange all of the necessary paperwork.

Both women turned simultaneously to see what the changeling's final thoughts were on the matter.

"Sure," Garfield shrugged apathetically.

Raven was quick to catch on to his unforeseen change in demeanor, and although she inspected him inquisitively, she said nothing to it. Madison, feigning ignorance at the subtle change in attitude, took that as her cue to draft the contract details.

The rest of the encounter went smoothly, and Garfield Logan was now a proud owner of a more modern mobile device, and an equally expensive phone case. Once they were done with the payment and signatures, Beast Boy's purchase was all wrapped up and ready to go in a fancy paper bag with the store's simple logo displayed on its centre. Madison then enveloped the both of them in a tight embrace as they reluctantly said their goodbyes, leaving Raven with a warning that she better make more time to come see her, or else. The buxom blonde held onto Garfield for a long few minutes, and he had her strawberry scented hair warming his cheek in a silken tangle. However, much to his disappointment, she did not leave him with any parting words pertaining to their secret conversation.

Once Raven and Beast Boy were making their way towards the exit of the mall, and they were well out of earshot, he couldn't help but ask at least one bothersome question that had been gnawing at him for some time; "So, how do you know Madison anyways?"

As they moved through the now thinning crowd of shoppers, he stared up through the glass dome of windows overhead to observe the volatile, darkening sky as it prepared itself for a heavy downpour. All around them, shops were closing down, ringing out their final customers for the day before pulling out their metal grates and locking up.

"Like I said, she's a fan," Raven duly answered.

Beast Boy narrowed his eyes at her. "That's not what I asked," he sniped, growing irritable with the vagueness of her replies.

She seemed to pick up on this and, as he readied himself for a fight, she simply let out a drawn out, defeated sigh and said, "She's a customer of mine. Her...ex-husband was not a decent guy. So, let's just say I helped her take care of it."

Beast Boy's brows shot up in amazement and perhaps a hint of worry. "Y-you didn't kill him did you?!" He exclaimed.

Raven responded by giving him a dubious stare. "No, I didn't _kill_ him. He may need some therapy for a little while, but he isn't dead."

Garfield couldn't help but smirk, feeling overcome with a wash of relief. " _Phew_. Well, at least there's that," he shook his head, chuckling to himself.

When they got to the large, glass doors that led to the corridor just before the exit to the mall, Raven hesitated. Beast Boy hadn't noticed her faltering steps, and swung open one of the heavy doors without a second thought. She hung back inside the mall, staring outside into the darkened roads with apprehension in her eyes. Lightning cracked through the black clouds in the distance as the storm brewed closer. Beast Boy stopped in his tracks, and tilted his head curiously when he realized that her scent was drifting away from him.

"Not coming?" He asked her, turning around to acknowledge her sudden distance.

Raven chewed on her bottom lip and stared at the ground, clutching tightly at the strap of her small bag. "I didn't drive," she admitted cautiously.

"Oh," Beast Boy combed his fingers through his unruly hair. "I can give you a lift, no problem," he offered.

She shook her head slowly. "Someone's supposed to come, don't worry about me."

Garfield's jaw clenched. "Uh-uh, I don't think so. I'm not leaving you here alone, especially when it's going to pour cats and dogs in less than fifteen seconds. You have a phone; text whoever it is and tell them to forget it. I'll drive you home."

He wasn't going to take no for an answer. She stared at him with a hardened look in her amethyst eyes. "I don't need you to baby me, Beast Boy. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

He sighed exasperatedly. "I know that, Rae, but I'm here now, I have a vehicle, and it's not a hassle for me to just drive you home. I owe you one, anyways. You got me a wicked deal on a new phone. Let me at least do this."

" _She needs a guy like you around..."_

Madison's voice was a whisper in his ear again, and he couldn't shake the way his skin crawled with an unnatural chill.

Raven's mouth hung open, like she wanted to say something, to protest, but no words came out. She remained stock still, uncertain of what to do. He could see the reluctance conflict with her better judgement in her body language.

Beast Boy took a tentative step towards her then, closing the distance between them. "Look, I'm not an idiot. I am personally aware of the fact that you could probably bring this building down in a second if you needed to. I'm not worried that you can't take care of yourself. That's not why I'm offering the ride. I'm offering because you're my friend, it's late, the weather is awful, your mystery chauffeur isn't here and I am. Did I mention I have a car?" He dangled his keys before her, letting them jingle together as evidence.

"I promise, it's not a moped," he added cheekily, grinning to brighten the situation.

When she still made no inclination to move, he groaned loudly before rubbing the palm of his hand against his left eye and upwards into his fringe. He then proceeded to beg in a most unmanly fashion; "Please Raven, _please_ let me take you home. If you don't want me knowing where you live, I'll even drop you off in some mystery lane nearby and you can walk home from there." For good measure, he made it personal. "Don't you _trust_ me at all?"

Her arms fell away to her sides then and her brows furrowed in contemplation. She whispered her shallow response in a distant and small voice. "That's not..."

His ears pricked up as the rest of her statement became muffled by the sharp rumble of thunder outside. She then looked up at him with a newfound confidence, having finally made up her own mind it seemed.

" _Fine_ ," she reluctantly conceded. Beast Boy didn't care; a victory was still a victory when it concerned Raven.

While she stood there glowering at him, he maintained a smug grin. "Sweet! So, uh, that whole mystery lane thing was a joke right? You do know that you can give me your address and I won't creep you or anything, right?"

He could tell that she was doing her best to fight off a smile when she finally marched past him and they both made to exit through the wide doors. "I know you won't stalk me, Beast Boy," she assured him.

"What happened to Beast _man_?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and the remnants of her smile vanished.

"You know that I was just poking fun at you," she told him dryly.

His ears drooped as they started walking through the massive, emptying parking lot. The rain hadn't reached them yet, but the unsettling humidity precipitating the storm was enough to make them sticky within seconds of leaving the air conditioned mall. "That's not really fair, Rae. I was seriously considering a name change, you know? I'm definitely not a boy anymore, so the whole Beast _Boy_ thing doesn't work so well." He flexed his biceps to prove his point, patting the bulge of muscle tightening beneath the fabric of his clothes. Raven quirked up an eyebrow, somehow not impressed with his display of bravado.

"First off, muscles don't make you a man. Second, knowing you, I'm sure you'll think of something clever," she commented, the late night, warm breeze playing with the soft, pin straight strands of her violet hair. Some wisps stuck to the skin of her pale face and she pushed them away irritably.

"You think I'm clever?" His eyes lit up with excitement.

Raven shrugged. "Sometimes, you can be," she admitted.

He would have done a back flip right then and there; he was so elated to hear her say that. Since when did she pay him genuine compliments so easily? Getting Raven to admit anything in regards to her true feelings was no easy feat, and this time, he hadn't even had to earn it.

Garfield chose not to say anything else in order to savour the moment. He basked in the compliment instead, and wore a goofy grin the entire time they walked next to one another.

They made their way to his small, green coloured car parked all by its lonesome at the very end of the lot when the drizzle started. Like his phone, his car was old but compact and very plain. Although he normally didn't care because it served him well enough, he was suddenly self conscious of what the empath would think of his simpler lifestyle choices. Beast Boy almost waited for the jibes to come, but Raven simply opened the passenger door and quickly took her seat, trying to escape the oncoming rain. It started to fall in heavier sleets, and Beast Boy had to bring up his hood and zipper to shield himself from its angry onslaught.

He hurried into the driver's seat as he felt the moisture soaking through his clothes. When he stuck the keys into the ignition and turned, the car engine purred to life. His windows fogged up from the humidity, and he cranked up the air condition.

"Beast Boy," Raven's voice called to him from the passenger seat. He looked over at her to see that her nose was scrunched up in distaste and she was visibly grimacing. "Why's your car smell like manure?"

He remembered that he'd been in such a rush after his shift that he'd driven home still sullied with fresh rhino poop. He'd managed to locate another uniform for the day, but the smell had lingered on his skin and hair until he'd showered.

"I work in a zoo, Rae. Sometimes...some smells follow me home," he confessed, purposely leaving out any mention of his clumsy incident early on in the day.

When she didn't reply, and remained stagnant on the subject, Beast Boy turned on his windshield wipers and put his vehicle in reverse to back out of the parking spot. He would just have to invest in an air freshener for his car from here on out.

They spent the drive mostly quiet, with the radio playing some of the season's latest hits softly in the background. Often, Beast Boy would drum his fingers to the beat against the steering wheel in between Raven's occasional verbal directions. The rain came down heavy and fast, commonly paired with a lightning bolt breaking apart the black and purple clouds in the dark skies. Garfield was sure to drive slow and steady, ever mindful of the slippery roads and the dangerous amounts of water accumulating on the ground. Raven stared out of her window, seemingly mesmerized by the way the droplets slid down the glass, only to be replaced by new ones.

Like a persistent, nagging feeling, Beast Boy's mind wandered back to the moment in the phone booth. He thought back to Madison's warning, of the way she'd clutched at him and made him promise to stay by her friend's side, no matter what. He wondered what sort of trouble Raven had gotten herself into, and why Madison hadn't wanted her to overhear their conversation. Knowing the half demon offspring of Trigon the Terrible, she'd always been quiet in regards to her more treacherous secrets, including those that had surrounded her ominous birth. _That_ was an apocalypse Garfield was not like to forget anytime soon. It was just like her to remain closed off, insistent that her problems were her own and not anyone else's business. Beast Boy gripped the wheel tight, his jaw clenching in frustration. How was he supposed to help her if he didn't even know _how_?

"It's the building just up ahead," she informed him, pointing to an old, tall apartment complex that was coming up on his right.

He signaled and turned in towards the pathway that led to its main entrance. Raven lived in the city's downtown core, in the part that was known for its higher criminal activity and low income status. As he pulled in and came to a slow stop under the canopy of the building's main doors, he glanced out his window and watched as the flash of blue and red police lights raced down the street just beyond them, their rowdy sirens echoing in the distance. When he'd been younger, he might have cared to see where they were going.

"This actually it?" He asked her as he heard her undoing the buckle of her seat belt.

He examined the grime of the old building structure, and noted the many shady characters that hung around the main foyer, eyeing his car with mistrust and suspicion.

"This is it," she answered him.

Garfield had always been used to dropping girls off at home, but his 'dates' would normally end with an invitation upstairs or, in the very least, a heated make out and groping session in his car. Neither of those options seemed entirely plausible with Raven and yet, he couldn't help but feel like _something_ was missing. For one, she wasn't getting out of the car yet despite her seat-belt being undone. She hadn't even opened her door. Instead, she was sitting there, staring at him almost expectantly, like she was silently sharing his sentiment that somehow, there should be _more_. He didn't miss the way her eyes briefly flitted to his mouth before coyly averting to his dashboard.

"Thanks," she croaked, tucking a strand of her short hair behind her ear.

"No, thank _you_. I didn't realize I needed a new phone until today," he corrected her lightheartedly.

"You're welcome." She remained stoic in her answer.

Then, after some effort, she mustered up a small smile, and his hands started to feel clammy where they held onto his steering wheel, despite the low temperature inside of his car.

They sat there sweating in the silence for a few more moments while the rain drizzled softly in the background. The moment was so thick with tension that Beast Boy was seriously contemplating leaning over and pulling her in for a very overdue hug. Anything was better than sitting still and enduring the painful, budding silence among them.

He rubbed his sweaty hands against his jeans and licked his dry lips. "So, uhm, I guess we'll keep in touch then?" Beast Boy asked dejectedly after clearing his parched throat.

His tongue felt like a fat wad of sandpaper in his mouth.

"I know a pretty good pizza place, if you want to go," she offered hastily, as if she'd been formulating the words on her tongue for a while yet.

Raven was clutching at her knees and staring into her lap, her face obscured by the soft tendrils of hair that fell forward.

"I could never turn down pizza. You know that, Rae," he stated, giving her his trademark, lazy smirk.

His response seemed to have been sufficient because she tilted her chin to look up at him again, and met his soft, verdant gaze, unabashed. "Okay, I'll pick a date and text you," she coolly affirmed.

Still smiling, he nodded once. "I'll be there."

Then, she was gone. She opened the car door and took off without another word or glance back. It was only as he'd started up the ignition again that he heard a faint tapping on his passenger window. He saw her face through the glass, and he rolled the window down, puzzlement crossing his features when he noted her sudden return. He thought that maybe she'd left something behind in his car.

Once the glass was no longer in her way, Raven nervously chewed on her bottom lip and said, "Beast Bo- _Garfield_ ," his name rolled off her tongue like he was listening to her speak a foreign language. "I forgot to tell you that I had a pretty good time today. So, uh, yeah...I guess I'll be seeing you." Her fingers were shaking, and her eyes darted about, looking anywhere but directly at him. Her voice was equally unsteady, very much not in character for the Raven he had known growing up.

It was obvious that she was in a hurry to say her piece and leave because the minute she'd told him what she had wanted to, she'd turned her back and skulked away.

Stupefied by her unpredictability, he watched it happen with wide eyes and an open mouth, unable to formulate a proper response in time. He watched her small form enter the building's foyer, past the stares and shameless ogling she received on the way. The rain filtered into his car as the wind picked up and sent a draft in through the canopy structure. It wet part of the passenger seat and some of his dashboard. He didn't roll up his window though, even though he should have. He was paralyzed in place.

He stayed outside her apartment complex for what felt like forever, taking in her parting words.

He lingered until he saw her get into the elevator, the metal doors slowly moving together to shut behind her moderately soaked silhouette.

He started to realize that he was tangling himself in her web, and the longer he remained, the deeper he went and the harder it would be to undo. There was a feeling, unbidden, telling him that he was going to get stuck in the weave of her complexity if he wasn't careful. It also warned that he might just start wanting it that way, too...

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 **A/N:** _Well. That was long, wasn't it? Please don't expect chapters to be like this! I had a plan and I may have gotten sidetracked. I am truly sorry. Long chapters like this are hard, and will make updates infrequent. That being said, here's hoping you enjoyed what I've included here. You know what to do :)_


	4. 3 - Bacteria

**A/N:** _Taken me some time for an update here, but I am so floored by the overwhelming positive feedback I've gotten for this. Thank you, everyone. Every single follow, favourite, and/or review has been amazing, and I'm certainly grateful to have caught your attention. Without further ado, chapter three._

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 **Grizzly Bears**

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 **Chapter Three:**

 **Bacteria**

* * *

Beast Boy always went to bed late. It was one of the few vices he'd kept even into adulthood. Staying up into the wee hours of night playing videogames with Cyborg, or by himself, had him quite used to an abnormal bed time and thus, he also liked to sleep in. It didn't matter if he'd have to begrudgingly wake up drained and exhausted the next morning before heading into work; he simply could never just lay in bed for hours, waiting for his mind to shut off.

So, truthfully, it shouldn't have bothered him that his phone buzzed to life just as he was tucking into bed for the night. He'd just turned out his lights in his bedroom and had yawned widely before removing all his clothes and getting beneath his warm, inviting covers. He had an early shift the next morning, so he was going to try and get to sleep a half hour after midnight; much earlier than the changeling was accustomed to. He'd left his new phone on his nightstand table, and his head had just hit his pillow when it's eerie bright light glowed to life in the darkness of his room. He'd left the ringtone on because he'd set his alarm with the phone's clock feature, and thus, it both vibrated and chimed loudly in the silence of the apartment.

He grabbed at it in annoyance, not recognizing the number displayed on the larger screen. He answered it groggily, and not without a hint of irritation in his growling tone of voice. If it was Matt drunk butt dialing him again, Gar already had his lecture prepped and ready to go for the next time he saw him.

"Hello?"

"Beast Boy, it's Raven," came the familiar, gravelly voice on the other end.

This unexpected turn of events had Garfield suddenly very alert and on edge. He sat up quickly on his bed and very nearly fumbled his phone a few times before he could properly catch it again.

Raven.

Raven was the one calling him in the dead of night, intentionally. Not a butt dial, like he'd expected, and most certainly not his bandmate, Matt.

"Uhm, uh, oh, hey! Raven, how's it going?" He finally stuttered in response, not entirely sure how exactly to address the situation.

It had been some time since the whole buying a phone date-not-a-date debacle, and that super awkward moment in his car where he'd been about thirty-five percent sure she'd wanted to kiss him. They'd texted a little bit in between, but it had not been anything substantial. There had been talk of their follow up meeting, but no date could be set, what with Beast Boy's band and work schedule, and Raven's unavailability for reasons she did not name and he never questioned. Mostly because he didn't have the nerve just yet; it was not an easy thing to do to jump right back into a friendship that had taken a near ten-year hiatus.

"Could you meet me at the City Park?" She asked him, ignoring his question entirely.

Beast Boy stared out his window at the dark night sky, contemplating the strangeness in Raven's request.

"You mean like… _now_? Right now?"

"Yes," came the monotone answer. Knowing Raven, she was probably rolling her eyes at him in that very moment.

Beast Boy scratched the back of his head, perplexed. "Is…is everything okay? Are you okay?"

She sighed into her phone. "I'm perfectly fine. Listen, if you don't want to-"

"No, no!" He interrupted suddenly, waving his free hand about as if she could see his expression somehow. "I can come, I just…,"he tapered off, not really knowing where he was going with his train of thought.

"Great," it was Raven's turn to interject, "Meet me by the bench," she instructed simply.

"The one by the trash cans that Gizmo hid and dumped Cy's arms in that one time? Or, the one where I got slimed by Plasmus and had to scrub clean as mandated by the city officials?" Beast Boy tried to clarify.

"Vic's arms," Raven replied

The changeling was quickly realizing that Raven was not only _not_ a phone call type of person, but also not one to provide him with much information until he got there. Considering how their current relationship status could be defined by trying to teach a new circus animal how to walk a tightrope thirty feet high, Beast Boy figured he just needed to tread carefully and maybe he wouldn't fall to his untimely death.

Feeling a bit defeated and anxious in regards to Raven's unpredictable behaviour, Garfield stared down at his very green nudity, and told her, "I just need to change, and I'll head out."

"Okay, I'll see you soon, then." He heard her hang up, but he kept the phone to his ear, as if in some false hope that she somehow was still on the other end.

"Amazing, I can't wait. It's not at all weird that you're calling me in the middle of the night and asking me to meet you in a dark, scary park where there will be no other person around. Do I sound worried? I'm totally not worried, Rae. Totally," he spoke into his phone, knowing full well there was no one around to hear him.

He sighed deeply and ran the palm of his hand against his face and into his eyes after putting his phone back down. Like many of his predatory animal counterparts, Beast Boy was more curious than he was frightened, so he got out of bed, put on some fresh clothes, grabbed his keys, and snuck out the front door before his roommate could wake up and catch him in the act. Quite frankly, he'd never really know how to explain this one, anyways.

The drive to the infamous City Park he'd spent a lot of his days at as a teenager was a peaceful, easy one. There was virtually no traffic considering the time of day it was, and the roads were pleasantly empty. He zoomed past traffic lights with his windows down, enjoying the late-night summer breeze that played with his hair, and tried not to stress out about his ex teammate's dubious behaviour. Truth was, he didn't know what to expect when he got there, and was not sure if he could take Raven's assurance at face value. For all he knew, he was walking right into a trap. Luckily for him, he never needed much to get ready for a battle; unlike Robin, all his weapons came a part of him already. If he ever needed to act quickly, shifting came as natural to him as breathing, and years of training with the Teen Titans had honed his abilities so that he could think fast on his feet.

Nonetheless, he couldn't help the bout of nervousness and his sweaty palms by the time he had parked and gotten out of his car. He scanned the deserted landscape quickly, looking and listening for anything out of the ordinary. All he was met with was the lush greenery of trees and grass, the faint lighting from the moon and the street lamps, and the summer song of crickets as they chirped merrily around him. When the wind blew, it gently rustled the leaves and the long, uncut grass, and if he paid close enough attention, he could hear the resident, nocturnal critters moving about in the night.

Steeling his nerves, Beast Boy made the walk to the bench Raven had mentioned in their short-lived conversation, and to his relief, found her seated there with a book in her lap. No blood, no imminent danger, no super villains, nothing. Everything seemed well with the empath, as she had led him to believe earlier. She looked up as he approached, tearing her deep violet gaze away from the pages of her novel, and regarded him briefly before marking her page and standing up to greet him.

Beast Boy had his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans. "Hey," he casually acknowledged her.

"Hey," she mimicked back.

They stood in an awkward silence for a while, letting the sounds of nature fill the void between them. Eventually, it was Raven who decided to break the stalemate. "We should take a walk, stretch out our legs a bit," she told him, nodding towards the dimly lit pathway that arched through the trees.

Not knowing how to broach the uncomfortable topic as to why Raven had called him out there in the first place, Beast Boy simply conceded. "Sure, that sounds relaxing."

Side by side, they started their trek on the pavement, through the lonely park.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, and Beast Boy racking his brain for possible answers that he'd never find, Raven meekly drawled, "Thanks for coming out."

Beast Boy, grateful for her broach of the topic, took this as an opportunity to come clean. "When you called me at first, I have to say, I was a bit…worried," he confessed.

Raven scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Since when did you start acting more like Richard?"

His eyebrows shot up in disbelief at her insinuation. " _Me_? Like Nightwing? You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all," she shook her head, "Between the two of you, I don't know who worries _more_."

A look of hurt flashed across Beast Boy's features, but not at what Raven would have suspected. "So, he still keeps in touch with you then?" The changeling kicked up a rock on the path, choosing to look at the ground rather than at Raven's inquisitive stare.

"Yes and no," she shrugged, "He isn't exactly the type to be making social calls," Raven elaborated.

It was Beast Boy's turn to give her a curious glance.

She sighed before delving into more detail. "Trigon is still my father, Beast Boy. So long as that's a fact, the Justice League is going to continue babying me. Since I won't directly deal with any of _them_ , they've sent a familiar, friendly face instead. Dick won't ever admit to it, but he knows that I know. He'll check in occasionally, and sometimes, Kory and Vic tag along, too. We all go for lunch and play catch up and pretend that it isn't what it is. I go with it mostly because I know I should; because it's a whole lot better than the alternative. But, I suppose I don't entirely mind their company, either," explained Raven with a careless shrug of her shoulders.

She had effectively left Garfield speechless. If anything, he had even more questions now than before. It still hurt to know that Starfire, Nightwing, Cyborg, and Raven had been periodically meeting throughout the years while also intentionally leaving him out. Even if the reasoning for it was only due to Raven's unchecked powers and evil parentage, it was still a kick in the groin. He tried not to let his disappointment get the better of him, but Raven was an empath, and she could catch the changing of his moods like she was practically in his head.

"It's usually a last-minute thing, or sometimes, they're just about to go on some sort of secret mission together. It's rarely ever been all three of them at the same time. Usually, it's just Nightwing," Raven tried to rectify her words, realizing too late that she'd made it seem like they had neglected their green friend.

"It's cool, I get it," Garfield lied, mustering up a false, reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry," Raven apologized suddenly. When he glanced at her, she was chewing at the bottom of her lip nervously and avoiding his eyes. "We should have made more of an effort to get in touch with you. I'm…I'm sorry that we didn't. I know it doesn't make up for lost time or anything, but I do regret it, not speaking to you for so long."

It was strange how their conversation had taken such a turn. There he was, listening to Raven apologize for something as small as forgetting to invite him out to lunch, and then suddenly for the radio silence he'd received from her over the course of ten years, too. He'd never been the type to hold a grudge, but he missed his friends something awful, and when they'd all seemingly moved on in life without him, Beast Boy had never felt so lost in the dark. The truth was, meeting Raven and knowing that she, too, had somehow forsaken the superhero lifestyle, made him feel a little bit better about lagging behind. He might still have been struggling to keep up, but at least now he wasn't alone.

"I'm not angry with you, Raven. I'm just glad you reached out to me at all," he replied honestly, this time with a genuine smile.

"…Even when it's half past midnight?" She added shyly.

He laughed sincerely. "Even when it's half past midnight."

"Speaking of which, _why_ did you call me out here so late?" He queried, feeling better about things between them now that they were more out in the open.

They continued walking down the winding path, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees.

Raven brushed his question off. "I was bored," she explained simply.

He raised a brow in disbelief, but knew better than to press her when her answers became short phrases. "I suppose we all deal with boredom in different ways. I play a quick video game match online, and, as I've recently learned, you like to take long walks in the park at night."

Raven pursed her lips at him in mild irritation when she picked up on the sarcasm in his tone of voice. "I was lonely, okay? For some weird, unexplainable reason, your number was the first one I saw, and I got to thinking about you, and couldn't shake the thought out of my head, so I decided that I wanted to spend more time with you. Happy now?"

Flabbergasted wasn't a strong enough word to describe how Garfield felt in that moment. He was floored by her confession, and he'd briefly entertained the notion that she was not being serious at all. Except, her cheeks were flushed, and she looked positively irritable, like she usually did whenever he'd outsmart her, or call her out on something she couldn't deny.

They walked on in silence for a few moments, neither capable of looking at the other after Raven's outburst. It had been difficult enough for her to admit to such a thing, and now she was having an even harder time trying to make sense of the sudden stillness from Garfield on the matter. Little did she know that he was trying to come up with a way of addressing her feelings while simultaneously not hurting or offending her in any way. He had started to learn to pick his words more carefully now that he was an adult.

"This honesty thing you're trying out? Got to say, I'm kind of a fan already."

Okay, so maybe he still had a lot to learn, but it certainly wasn't the worst thing he could have said.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it. I'm not too sure I like it much," Raven huffed, folding her arms under her chest.

He couldn't help but grin toothily. "Really, I'm just flattered that you thought of _me_ , of all people, Rae." He wiggled his brows at her.

"I figured you'd be available," she told him flippantly, ignoring his attempts at flirting with her.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!" He snapped, his arrogance fading.

Raven smirked teasingly. "Only that old habits die hard. You never _did_ get to sleep until three or four in the morning back at the tower. It was either videogames, Cyborg, or surfing the net, but either way, you made a lot of noise at night, and the light to your room was usually left on."

Beast Boy tried to stammer out a retort in his defense, but found himself tripping over his own tongue instead.

"You should drop by my work sometime, we can grab lunch or something," she then added, effectively changing the subject. Somehow, she always found new ways to leave him speechless.

Beast Boy felt a lot like a fish out of water.

"I guess I never asked you, but what is it you do exactly, anyways?" He asked, somewhat grateful that he was no longer under the limelight.

"Retail."

Garfield sighed. "That…isn't specific, Rae."

"It's a small shop located in the heart of downtown. When you come by, I guess you'll find out more," she conceded.

"Always with the mystery," he chided, but not without a smile. "Fine, I'll pop by on my day off, just text me the address and a time."

Then, Beast Boy halted in his step dramatically, and with wide eyes, added, "Wait, what exactly do you sell? It isn't, like…weird services, is it? Or something illegal that you can't talk about?"

Raven stopped and gave him a deadpan look, but refused to entertain him with an answer to his ridiculous question. It was enough to deter him from _that_ particular line of thinking. When they resumed walking again after a nervous bubble of laughter had left Beast Boy's throat, they realized that they were approaching the end of the path, as it had looped back around to where they had started. The park was never known for it's impressive size, after all.

"Need a ride home?" He asked her, reaching into his pockets for his keys.

"Only if I'm allowed to control the radio," Raven bargained.

"Deal," he agreed.

This time, Raven rolled down her window, and tuned into a station that played primarily alternative and indie rock music. Much to her surprise, Beast Boy hummed along to one of the more melancholy, eerie tunes, but Raven stayed silent throughout most of the ride, just as she had the last time.

When he'd pulled into the building complex's front driveway for the second time in his life, he noticed that she didn't get out of the car right away.

"Vic told me you were broadening your horizons in music these days, but to be truthful, I didn't really believe him," she suddenly noted.

Finally; a topic Garfield knew how to discuss. "I know this band, and they do a lot of cover work mostly since it's all for fun. A lot of them are my friends, and they sort of exposed me to all kinds of genres…," Beast Boy gushed.

Raven watched him intensely the whole time, unblinking. She was almost fascinated with the way his features lit up when he spoke about something he'd become so passionate about. When they'd been teenagers, it was usually comic books, nerdy films, or cute girls that would bring out that affect on him. Back then, she hadn't been as attentive, but now, it seemed as if she couldn't tear her gaze away.

"You should come out to a show...," he told her hesitantly. "You could even bring a friend, if you want. Admission is fairly cheap, since it all goes down at a local pub anyways, but I scored some free tickets. If you wanted, I mean."

Beast Boy was practically fidgeting in his seat, uncomfortable in his own skin for a change. He wasn't entirely sure he was ready for her to meet his other group of friends, but at least they stayed sober during the show, so chances of embarrassing him were significantly lower. Not to mention, he didn't know how Raven would handle her 'fans'. She'd always been extremely popular during her days as a Titan, but mostly, she chose to ignore the people who fawned over her. He recalled her saying that she didn't like having so many crowds invading her personal space, and that the overwhelming emotions nearly choked her.

"Yeah, sure, why not? I could use a more social night out," she replied before he could continue babbling.

"I understand, you don't have to come if you- _wait, what_?" Beast Boy regarded her skeptically from the small distance between them.

Raven bent forward so that her dark violet hair curtained about her pale face. "I said I'd like to go," she repeated in her soft tone of voice.

"Right! Of course, I mean that's awesome!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

Raven smiled sweetly, and Beast Boy ignored the weird sinking thing his heart did. "Thanks for the ride again, and…keeping me entertained tonight. I'll see you soon," she promised prior to leaving his company.

With that confession, she unfastened her seat belt and exited his car before he had the chance to say goodbye. He promised himself he was going to get better at this. He just needed to start getting used to her but, much like when they'd been younger, he feared that he never really _would_ get used to Raven, and maybe he was sort of okay with that...

* * *

"I have someone I'd like you to meet," Sophie had giddily teased, clasping his hand between both of hers and all but tugging him along while she batted her pretty blue eyes at him. She always did know his weaknesses.

The younger girl giggled deviously before freeing up a hand and tucking a stray lock of platinum blonde hair behind her ear. They'd just finished playing a show, and Beast Boy's shirt was clinging to his skin from the sweat. All he wanted to do was tear it off and relish in the cool air hitting his exposed torso. The last thing he wanted was for Sophie to play matchmaker, and all he needed was an opportunity to dunk himself into a bucket of ice. Or grab a cold, refreshing water bottle. Either would do.

"Can they wait? I'm sort of gross, and I'm pretty sure they're gonna call us up for one more song," he countered, adding a small amount of resistance to her incessant pulling.

"Your groupies are the ones who can wait, Garfield. This girl is a _dime_ , I just know you two are going to hit it off!"

"I don't think you understand, Soph; they _need_ me up there. Matt and Lee say there hasn't been a crowd this live in _ages_ ," urged Beast Boy with a shake of his head. His hair had turned shaggy in the humidity, and looked like a darker shade of green from the moisture that clung to the fine strands. When he had tried to push his bangs out of his eyes, it only served to make them stick out haphazardly in the direction he'd brushed them in.

" _Ugh_! It's almost like you _want_ to stay single! You aren't going to find love in the arms of a chain-smoking hipster that likes to wear flower crowns and get high at music festivals, Gar. We're not seventeen anymore!" Sophie appealed with a gentle roll of her eyes.

"It's not _about_ the groupies, and besides, we all know it's Lee they want to bone anyways. Lead singer and all that…," he paused when he realized his error. "No offense," he added in hurriedly with a nervous smile.

Sophie let go of his hand in order to place them angrily on her slim hips instead. "Lee doesn't sleep with underage girls," she defended their friend, jutting out her bottom lip and furrowing her brows.

"And like I do? No thanks," Garfield scoffed. "But that's what I'm trying to say; this is about the _music_ , Sophie! I'm sure your cute friend can appreciate the lovely sounds I can have that guitar make in an encore."

Sophie groaned inwardly. "You mean, while you play topless so you can impress her with your so called rippling abs and _amazing biceps, dude_?" She punched his arm, her voice taking on the mocking edge of a prepubescent boy by the end of her articulation.

Before he could pipe up, Sophie pressed further and leaned in so close that he had to move back a couple of inches. With a sharp finger jabbing into his chest, she glared at him, right down her sloped, freckled, pierced nose. "Newsflash; she doesn't care for theatrics or big, strong, manly muscles. I'm introducing you to her because she _would_ like sweet, kind, funny, dorky Garfield. Try and keep that in mind when you go back up there."

Then, she turned on her heel, and walked away.

Beast Boy let out a long, deep sigh, frustrated by the whole exchange. How could he ever tell her that the real reason he didn't care for her matchmaking advances was because he'd much rather be dating _her_? Matt had been blunt enough to hypothesize that it was possible she was doing it precisely _because_ she was aware of his feelings. It could have been her way of getting him off her back. Not that Garfield had the courage to ever be that forward with Sophie.

He felt something cold and moist against his shoulder, and turned to see his aforementioned, male friend and bandmate pressing an unopened, still cold bottle of water against his arm. Matt was also watching Sophie storming off, and with a slight shake of his head, he tsked and asked, "Setting you up with another one of her 'perfect' friends again?"

Garfield nodded curtly. "You know it."

Matt took a swig from his own water bottle before crunching up the plastic in his hand and patting Beast Boy on the back. "Well, we've got another song to play, and can't do that without our green machine guitarist, so, as they say in theatre, the show must go on. Or at least before the hype dies down, anyways."

The changeling opened the lid to the drink he was given, and took a long gulp of the ice-cold refreshment until he'd nearly finished all of it. The water dripped down his chin and splattered onto his shirt, but the cold against his flushed skin was a welcomed change, so he didn't bother wiping it away. Instead, he tore off his sweat drenched t-shirt, and went to join his band on stage in a more breathable, sleeveless top.

It was amazing how less than five minutes could be filled with so much energy and excitement. When he was standing beneath the blazing light, sweating like an animal, and making music, Beast Boy was the star of the show all over again. It didn't matter if Lee was the pretty boy lead singer with hauntingly rich, deep vocals, or if it had been Sophie herself, hitting those high notes effortlessly like she did during practice all the time. The moment he was up there, the world was his for the taking, and each time he pulled the mic to his mouth to lend a voice, it was exhilarating. He was part of something again, something important and something people loved. Finally, he had somewhere to fit in again.

It was a shame Raven couldn't make it that night. It was the first in a long time that they had such a strong turn out, but the empath had ditched last minute, sending him an apologetic text a few hours prior saying that something urgent had come up and she wouldn't be able to attend. It had been a let down, and for a while, Beast Boy had a hard time accepting it. He knew he should have been used to the former Titans bailing on him, but for some reason, he'd thought that Raven would have been different. She was more substantially in his life now than even Cyborg was as of late, having both seen and spoken with her in much shorter lapses of time.

He had wanted her to be there that night, and it hurt him to learn just how much.

"Dude, why don't you just tell her you're seeing Raven? That'll get her to leave you alone," Matt had advised after they'd finished the show, and were hanging out at the now more or less empty bar.

Garfield nearly flinched. "I can't do that because it's _not_ true!"

"I mean, it is, kinda. You guys went on a date recently, didn't you? Who the heck asks someone to hang out alone in a park after midnight without having other intentions, if you catch my drift?" Matt rebutted nonchalantly.

The bar had emptied out now that it was nearly two in the morning, and most of the gang had returned to their normal spot to drink and relax. Matt, surprisingly, was not drunk despite the cold beer he was nursing in his hand, and his bold words.

"For the last time, it _wasn't_ a date. If you keep saying that, I'm never confiding in you again," Beast Boy seethed through gritted teeth, his voice a low growl.

"That's not what your shiny, new phone says." Matt raised his thick brows suggestively, making to touch the high tech object on the table before Beast Boy.

The changeling slapped his hand away. "Quit it before someone hears you," Beast Boy threatened.

Matt only chuckled.

A new, familiar voice then entered the fray. "We talking about that hot goth chick that's totally not Garfield's type?"

To his horror, it had been Daniel, his co-worker, who had overheard their conversation. Beast Boy had invited him to the show after he'd expressed interest when he'd spoken about the event during one of their shifts. He also happened to be Garfield's volunteer ride for the night too, since the changeling had planned on having a couple of celebratory drinks.

Beast Boy's face was hot, and this time, it wasn't only due to the alcohol in his system or the warmth in the pub. "Dan, I thought you were my friend!" He whined.

Dan gave him a crooked smile in answer. "I am your friend, Gar. Which is why you have my blessing to go for it."

Matt snickered. "I still can't believe you lived with such gorgeous women for so long, and as a horny teenager no less, and didn't make a move on either one."

Dan nodded in agreement.

Beast Boy groaned. "They were my teammates, guys. It isn't like sleeping with your bandmate; you build a relationship based on trust, and that was hard earned from someone as prickly as Raven. These are the guys that have your back when things start going south, and in hero world, that usually means life and death," he explained.

"Didn't stop Robin and Starfire," Dan chimed in.

"Yeah, well, that was different. That was love."

"All I'm saying is, Raven in a tight, black leotard could have turned into love, too," said Matt.

"Now you guys are just being rude. Can we stop talking about them like this?" Sometimes, Garfield forgot how young some of his friends were.

Starfire had become a lot like an older sister to him, and Raven…well, Raven was Raven. Sure, they were both extremely attractive, deadly women he had the pleasure of getting to know, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't think of that occasionally, but they were also a part of his team. Naturally, his younger self had tried flirting with them both at some point, but neither would have any of it. Eventually, he had taken the hint and was content with leaving it well alone. Especially since he was sure he'd only done that trying to seek some sort of validation, and not because he'd been serious in his pursuit. This had all mainly happened before he'd even truly gotten to know either of them. If an attractive individual could still find him desirable, green skin, fangs, pointy ears and all, then things weren't that bad, and maybe he didn't have to be so alone anymore. Looking in the mirror some days had been a punch to the ego when he'd been younger. It was petty, what he'd done, and Beast Boy had just been glad to have grown out of it. He owed a lot of that maturing to Terra.

"We're only teasing you, Gar. You know all I want for you is to be happy," Matt said apologetically.

"He's right; you deserve it, bro," Dan added.

The thing was, Beast Boy _was_ happy. He liked his new life, his new friends, and his new purpose. He no longer needed that validation from someone else. Sure, there were still days he thought about putting on the holo-ring Cyborg had gifted him years back, but for the most part, he was content with who he was. The green no longer meant something to be frightened of; everyone around the world knew who he was thanks to the Teen Titans. The green became a symbol of a hero, of safety and protection. He could live with that.

Still, as much as he tried telling himself all those things, he knew there was still something _missing_ …

"Uh-oh, red alert. Literally, a red alert," Matt smacked Garfield's back in warning, drawing his attention to the two females currently walking in their direction.

Sophie was beaming, talking animatedly with her hands while her equally petite friend walked shyly beside her. She had long, wavy, red hair, and Garfield immediately understood Matt's literal phrasing.

"Time for a meet and greet with some of the band, Erin!" Sophie exclaimed upon standing before the table.

She went around, introducing her to everyone before finally coming to Garfield and Matt's end of the bench. He had to hand it to Sophie; Erin was cute, but then again, all the 'friends' she'd tried setting him up with had been. He was already tired of the process from letting those girls down, and this wasn't going to be any different. Nonetheless, he smiled and shook Erin's hand upon introduction, whereas Matt just waved hello and Dan watched the awkward ordeal with interest.

"Gar, this is Erin, the girl I was telling you so much about," Sophie reminded him, wide eyed and with raised brows. She couldn't have been anymore painfully obvious if she tried.

He winced at her forwardness. "Oh yeah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Erin. I almost didn't recognize you without the tentacles and warts," he tried joking to lighten the mood.

Sophie stared at him, clearly unimpressed and with tongue in cheek. She then turned to her friend and said remorsefully, "I'm sorry, he's not usually like this, I swear."

Erin giggled before looking Garfield up and down with brazen, hazel green eyes. "That would be a shame; I think he's sort of funny," she replied slyly.

No one had seen that coming.

"Well, shit, you two, get a room," Matt commented aloud before taking a swig from his beer.

Sophie looked flabbergasted, her youthful face turning a vibrant shade of cherry red. For the moment, she didn't seem like she could find her voice, or the words, to accurately convey her shock.

Erin, much like Dan, only appeared to be amused by the whole thing. "We could get there, but I'm traditional, so we'll have to start with numbers and a coffee first," she winked.

Matt grinned. "I like her. You should take her out, Gar. She's different," he told the changeling earnestly.

Both Beast Boy and Sophie didn't really know how to respond to the situation, and so, Erin grabbed her blonde friend by the arm, and started dragging her away towards the bar. "Come on, I think we could both use a drink or two."

Once the girls were out of earshot, the older zookeeper was the first to break the uncomfortable silence that had hung over them. "That was interesting," Dan chuckled with a shake of his head.

Matt polished off the remainder of his drink, chugging the liquid and wiping the foam from his mouth after. "I know the other Titans always turn you down when you ask them to come to a show, but you should try to bring Raven out next time. It'll be fun." He stood up and rustled Beast Boy's hair about with his free hand before stalking off to the bar to join the others.

That was when Garfield had wondered if it had been a godsend that Raven had bailed on his invite tonight, or if merely her presence would have been enough to help avoid the impending disaster that was his love life…

* * *

As per usual, Garfield didn't know what to expect when Raven had sent him the address of the shop she claimed to work at. It was starting to become a habit, with her requesting to meet at random locations at random times for random reasons he never truly understood or gleaned. So, this time, he decided to do a little bit of homework.

There was very little information about the place online, as he had immediately tried doing some research before he needed to drive over. Her lunch break started at half past noon, and he wanted to be at least a few minutes early, if only to catch her on the job. The name of the place was something wonky, like _Jealous Joe's Bistro & Arcade_, but remembering Raven's disdain for videogames, he'd somehow managed to figure out that it had gone through some recent managerial changes. The online map had simply not updated it yet for some bizarre reason.

Yet again, he was walking in blind, and Raven's refusal to reveal more about her mystery profession left him feeling anxious.

He had kept his uneasy mind busy by thinking up ridiculous jobs he could maybe see Raven doing. One was an assassination guild, and he visualized her using dark magic to curse and kill her targets while wearing a strange purple and black ninja outfit. When he started thinking that it was kind of hot, he quickly switched gears to an old crone's spells and magic shop. He pictured her dressed more conservatively, like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and wearing large rim glasses while being highly uncomfortable around the few people who did stroll in. It was sort of cute…

Nope.

That one was out, too.

Maybe it was one of those super adorable maid cafés that were popping up all over downtown Jump City because of the migrated Japanese craze. The idea of Raven in a cute, frilly maid outfit looking unimpressed while serving cheesecake made him giggle out loud.

Of course, he knew it wouldn't possibly be any of those things; none of them were normal or Raven enough. He was suddenly very curious about how Raven even _did_ normal.

It wasn't until he stood before the quaint little shop and read the name in it's freshly, bold, golden script, that he truly felt confused.

 _NEVERMORE : Annabel Lee's Book Emporium & Café _

He couldn't help the chill that ran down his spine at the awful memories the name inspired. He still had nightmares about that place, deep in Raven's psyche, when he'd visited it, unsolicited, as a teenager. It was almost like a cruel, bad joke that Raven worked at a store called Nevermore, of all things.

However, that wasn't what actually did him in.

No.

Beast Boy could have handled even that coincidence.

It was what he saw outside the shop, in it's little fenced off area of black dining chairs and small, circular, red tables, with folded up, black and white umbrellas poking out of their centres, that truly left him mind boggled. A few customers sat alone, a book in hand, occasionally sipping their caffeinated beverages and munching on a cookie or some other dessert. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Yet, Garfield's gaze was drawn to the one table that had a group of older women heatedly discussing a novel they each had a copy of in their hands or on the surface before them.

What was fascinating about it was that _Raven_ was serving them.

He'd recognize that sheen of purple-black hair and slender, pale frame anywhere.

He tried to keep his mouth from dropping, tried to hide his expression before she caught sight of him. Currently, she was too busy leaning over and serving the ladies their drinks from her little cart to notice the green skinned man gawking at her.

Not only was Raven serving them politely and with a gracious smile, she was also doing it in a _uniform_.

No, it wasn't a frilly maid café outfit, or a tight-fitting ninja costume.

Raven wore a curve hugging, high waisted, black pencil skirt, with enough of a sexy slit to tease some of her tantalizing pale leg while maintaining class. She had on a pair of shiny, black pumps, sheer pantyhose, a simple, black choker, and a crimson red, short sleeved dress shirt with feminine, somewhat puffy sleeves. He could see a few other workers milling about inside from the large, framed window, dressed in a very similar garb. The empath had on a gold-plated name tag clipped to her right breast pocket that read RAVEN in bold, capital, black letters, just in case Beast Boy had any lingering doubts about it being her.

Was this why she'd been so secretive about it? Was this her way of surprising him?

Every time she bent forward to place something onto the ladies' table, her skirt rode up enough to widen the slit and reveal more of her pale thigh. That was about when Garfield had come to the realization that this was _way worse_ than anything his wild imagination had concocted.

It was just lunch, he told himself. He was only going to lunch with Raven. The same Raven he'd grown up with in Titan Tower. The same quiet, strange girl who read books, kept to herself, and could decimate the planet if she truly wanted to. What was so weird about that?

All they were doing was rekindling an old bond that had seemingly faded throughout time.

He wasn't even sure if she was single, and yet, he couldn't help but think on what his friends had said to him in regards to recent events.

For the first time in the history of _ever_ , Garfield truly started considering the possibility that he was actually, maybe _dating_ Raven…

* * *

 **A/N:** _There it is. Again, I do apologize for the delay. Hopefully the wait was worth it. I must admit, I do enjoy tormenting Beast Boy in this way. Poor guy just can't catch a break. But that's the whole point; he can't wrap his head around the enigma that is Raven, and thus this little idea is born. Pretty sure you lovely readers already know what to do at this point. Thank you for reading._


	5. 4 - Virus

**A/N:** _As always, reading the feedback this fic generates is truly inspiring. Another update it is!_

* * *

 **Grizzly Bears**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **Virus**

* * *

It might have been a bad idea that he'd turned up so early.

Once he'd been spotted, because he wasn't exactly hard to pick out in a crowd, it quickly became clear that he'd taken Raven by surprise. The emotion played with her comely features, starting out first as confusion, and then working into registered stupor. She'd nearly knocked over a lady's cup of tea by absent-mindedly placing the plated dessert directly next to it. Catching her blunder immediately, she apologized profusely while trying to compose herself again. Garfield found it interesting that she actually bowed her head, her violet hair falling forward and forcing her to tuck the short strands behind her ear to no avail. He'd have been a horrible liar if he said he didn't find the action endearing, and…maybe a bit cute, as well.

He grinned toothily at her and waved while she shot him an infamous Raven glare in between her bouts of apologies and reparations to her customers. Suddenly self conscious of the length of her tight skirt, he caught her inching down its hem to cover a bit more of her long, pale legs as she scampered away from the table to confront him. She still carried the round, silver tray in her arms and seemed to be using it to shield her torso from his speculative gaze. She exited the fenced off area and stood before him, appearing far more unhinged than she had been moments ago. It did not escape him that she was currently doing everything in her ability to avoid meeting his eyes.

"You're _early_ ," she sniped in a low, gravelly voice.

He wanted to gloat over the fact that he had somehow managed to discombobulate the former Titan, but figured it was an unwise decision judging by how uncomfortable she had suddenly gotten in his presence.

So, instead, he settled for a genuine compliment. "Cute uniform," he told her, eyeing her from head to toe with an amused expression.

Raven's cheeks reddened when she narrowed her eyes at him, and he could have sworn he saw the tables behind her quiver briefly, as if possessed.

He then leaned in towards her face to study a new change that he hadn't noticed earlier. Emerald eyes leered at her, as his ability to invade her personal space with such ease caused her to stagger backwards in her shiny black heels. "Is that… _lipstick_?" Beast Boy mused aloud.

She swatted him away when she'd decided he'd gotten too close for comfort. "I-it's part of the look, don't get used to this," she explained, suddenly self conscious of her face and what was on it.

Beast Boy tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels, admiring her with a lazy expression. "Really? I think it suits you. Not that you've ever needed any makeup, Rae," he replied casually.

She seemed to stare up at him like he'd just sprouted a sixth limb before recalling that he _could_ really do that. Then, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm going to skip by that part, and _not_ ask you to explain to me exactly what that means."

He let out a nervous bubble of laughter, unsure if he had made the right decision in being so forward with her. He put up his hands in a defensive stance, but maintained his easy going charm. "Alright, fine. But just so you know, you're the one that invited _me_ here, Rae. Were you going to change just to hang out with me?" He relentlessly teased her.

To his bewilderment, she averted her gaze guiltily and mumbled under her breath, "...I considered it."

She motioned to her outfit and added, "Aside from the fact that it isn't really in my tastes, it also smells like coffee and baked goods." She wrinkled her nose in attest to her own scent.

Garfield used his more honed sense of smell to take a whiff in her general direction, causing her to stiffen all over again at his intrusive mannerisms. Ignoring her reaction, he seemed to purr at the pleasant aroma she had basked in all day. "Mmmm, smells pretty delicious to me. I like coffee and baked goods," he confessed before backing away at the third and fourth scent he picked up from her clothes, "I could go without the books and sweat, though."

Raven's brows furrowed and she folded her arms over her chest. "Well, it doesn't matter now. Since you're here so early, I'll see what I can do to get off the clock sooner than usual," she concluded dryly.

He could have laughed at the fact that she was still irritable with him for his unprecedented punctuality if he hadn't been so certain that it would have soured her mood.

With that, Raven had turned on her heel, and made to walk into the quaint café she was currently employed at. That was around the time that Garfield had noticed the _staring_.

A few of the customers had paused in their daily routine just to watch the delicate exchange between the two infamous comrades, only to quickly look away once Beast Boy had caught them in the act. Even the other waitresses inside were seen huddled closer to the window, whispering and giggling in their direction, as if they thought they were being discreet. Garfield steeled his nerves and readied himself for whatever confrontation would surely be awaiting him inside the little shop.

He followed behind Raven and did his best not to get distracted by her shapely backside in such form fitting clothes. He could bet that the others around her weren't half as mindful to do so.

"I've got to go speak to the boss quickly and get my things, so stay put. Have a latte or something," she instructed him once they were inside, waving him over to the bar-like counter before disappearing behind a door that read EMPLOYEES ONLY.

For a minute, he stood still in the entryway, feeling extremely awkward and like the centre of attention without Raven around to be his buffer. He could probably easily fault the whole green thing, along with the hero bit he'd played for most of his life, but there was a small part of him that said it had less to do with him and more to do with the empath. Beast Boy was being ogled by everyone in the shop and, although he should have been used to it by now, this time, he was starting to feel a little under pressure. He was certain that, somewhere, a cup of coffee was overflowing because a barista wasn't paying any attention.

Trying his best to ignore it like he always did, Garfield took a seat on one of the tall stools around the cash wrap, and began studying the laminated menu on the counter before him. Half of the shop was a café, and the other half was very much a bookstore, lined with nothing but endless shelves of novels for purchase and perusing. There were magazines and paperbacks hanging around the counter-top, probably left behind by previous customers, and Garfield wondered if they carried graphic novels as well.

"Well, _you're_ different," came the jaded, feminine voice of the employee from the other side of the cash. The young girl drew his attention away from the menu, all the while she studied his features with a pinched look on her face.

Her uniform was the same as Raven's, only she had a full length, black canvas apron that tied around her neck and small waist, covering most of the front of her attire from any serious stains and spills.

She had short curly brown hair, a round face, and mousy features. She studied Garfield like he was about as appetizing as a stale piece of bread. "Not her usual customer, that's for sure." She shrugged, clearly unimpressed with her once-over.

"Uh…hi to you, too?" Garfield attempted, unsure of how to tread in such a situation.

She rolled her hazel brown eyes at him before choosing to scrutinize her nails rather than to continue acknowledging him. "Raven said you get an order on the house, and what Raven says goes. So, what'll it be?"

He raised a single brow, immediately disliking the girl's poor attitude towards him, but not wishing to be confrontational about it, either. "She doesn't have to do that. I'd rather not get her into any trouble. Besides, we're going for lunch," he insisted politely.

Kill them with kindness, right?

Just as the barista scoffed at his response and rolled her eyes again, another one of Raven's co-workers hopped around the counter to join their conversation. Unlike her friend, she was smiling sweetly, and appeared to be positively jovial in spirits. "Don't mind Monica here, she can be a bit bitter around any of Raven's new _beaus_ ," the pretty Asian girl assured him.

Garfield's eyes widened at her description of his relationship to the demoness. "What?! Wait, no, it's not like that at all!" He shook his head furiously in protest. "Raven's _just_ a friend!"

Truth be told, he was getting somewhat tired of having to emphasize this fact over and over to just about everyone he encountered.

Monica reserved a look of disbelief as she narrowed her eyes at him. "That's what they _all_ say," she maintained, her nostrils flaring.

He couldn't deny that his interest was piqued by her proclamation, even though he certainly didn't like it. First, there had been the strange encounter with Madison, and now Raven's co-workers were also noting something uncharacteristic of the empath that he'd thought he'd known fairly well. He lurched a bit forward in his seat and spoke in a quieter voice, "What do you mean by _all_?"

For the first time during their conversation, Monica smirked at him, but her expression was cold and calculating, and there was no hint of kindness in her eyes. "Looks like this one's also got delusions of grandeur," she stated ruthlessly. "Face it, _greenie_ , you're just the flavour of the month."

The other, dark haired girl elbowed her friend in the arm, hard enough to earn her a nasty glare. "How haven't you been fired yet?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes at Monica.

The freckled youth glowered back before answering her in a smaller voice. "Raven _likes_ me, whether you want to admit it or not."

The taller girl sighed aloud before shaking her head. "I'm pretty sure she just takes pity on your black soul. Anyways, since you're on Rae's good side and all, then maybe you should reconsider being so rude to her…uh, _friend_ here." She motioned towards Garfield then, but Monica merely folded her arms over her chest and refused to look at him.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy remained hung up on the recent words the brunette had uttered.

"Flavour of the month..?" He ventured quizzically. "Is Raven… _seeing_ someone?" Garfield blurted it out before he could stop himself.

He couldn't explain why there was suddenly a lump in his throat, or why his heart rate felt thready and bounding when he recalled the day at the zoo and the handsome stranger that had kept Raven company. The two girls exchanged nervous looks, neither aware as to how to answer his question without saying too much.

"Ready to go?" Raven's voice nearly made all three of them jump out of their skin.

She paused to stare at them, feeling like she'd just caught them in some sort of lewd act. "What?" She queried.

Monica, suddenly turning into an entirely different person, beamed at the empath. "Nothing! We were just talking to your friend, Raven! I offered him a latte on the house, but he refused," she explained in an unusually high pitched tone of voice.

Her co-worker rolled her eyes and groaned, also not falling for the helpless girl act. "Not before grilling him first," she cheekily added under her breath.

Although all eyes were on her, Raven's deep purple gaze remained fixed on the changeling, only trusting him for a truthful response. He gave her a reassuring smile, and decided against being petty. "Maybe another time. We're going for lunch, anyways," he confirmed.

Finding his answer adequate, she adjusted her bag's strap on her shoulder, and shrugged, "Well, the offer still stands, whenever you decide to take us up on it."

He could feel Monica's eyes boring into him as Raven said this, and he wondered why the girl hated him so much upon only just meeting him. Had Raven said something about him to her that had upset her? Had _he_? It was not a reaction he was accustomed to. Fear, disgust, and admiration were all acceptable. Only, Monica didn't seem to have an issue with his appearance so much as she did with his mere existence.

"Have fun, Rae!" The friendlier waitress called after them once both old comrades started heading towards the door.

"Make sure the store doesn't burn down to the ground by the time I get back, Grace," Raven forewarned over her shoulder.

She said goodbye to a few more colleagues on their way out before they left the café, all of which gave Garfield an appraising look. Trying to take his mind off more pressing issues, he decided to focus on the present.

"So, are we driving over, or is this place within walking distance?" Beast Boy asked once they had passed the fenced gate of the outside patio.

"It's just up the street," she replied.

"Good! So, uh, wanna tell me what's up with your friend back there?" He caved into temptation, and asked her, too curious for his own good.

"Monica?" Raven clarified. "She's got a crush on me, I guess. I don't date co-workers, though," she confessed rather blandly, as if it were common knowledge.

He chuckled nervously, feeling like he was walking on shards of glass at this point. "That why you never dated Robin?"

He wasn't entirely too sure why he even asked, it just sort of came up, like word vomit. Richard had always been the dashing one among their group, it wasn't even a competition. He was tall, well built, handsome, and one hundred percent human. Not to mention, brooding and dark, which was what society claimed women liked the most. It was no wonder he was so popular among lady folk. Seeing as how Beast Boy had endured a most awkward and unflattering teenager stage, and Victor was more machine than man, he couldn't help but wonder if the reserved empath had been part of that group of females.

Raven's features worked into a grimace at his not-so-subtle accusation. "Richard? Are you joking?"

He figured he would go with it, just to see her reaction. "You can't tell me you never appreciated that uniform. We all know Starfire does," he waggled his brows at her.

Raven stuck out her bottom lip and hugged her bare arms. "Aside from the fact that the idiot is in love with a wonderful woman who puts up with all of his nonsense, you're asking me if I ever considered dating Dick?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "I guess I am."

She let out a drawn out sigh. "Richard is attractive. I'll give him that. You'd be blind to suggest otherwise. At some point, I might have confused feelings of admiration and respect for that of something more, but it would never have amounted to anything, anyways," she explained bleakly.

Garfield had to raise his brows at that, slightly taken aback by her honest answer. "You mean…you _did_ have a thing for him?"

"I'm saying I was a confused teenager, too, at the mercy of hormones and other human physiology. Starfire and Robin were actually in love. I was…I was just lonely," she added, her gaze drifting to the ground.

"Funny," he started in a soft voice, staring up at the clear blue skies overhead, "I think I was, too."

" _You_ were lonely?" She asked him in bewilderment.

"The more I look back and think about it, the more it makes sense. Don't get me wrong; the team was my family, but I was always looking for something else, I think," he drifted off, seemingly lost in thought.

"You mean, a girlfriend?" Raven quipped unapologetically.

He had to laugh at that. "A girlfriend would have been ideal, I won't lie, but I think I just wanted someone I could talk to, _really_ talk to…"

Something like empathy flashed across Raven's features as she regarded him in that moment, but she stayed silent on the matter. Instead, she pointed out a niche little store at the end of the bustling sidewalk, and said, "That's the place. I think you'll really like it. I brought Vic once, and he refused to believe anything could taste good without meat."

The place was called Vegan Haven, and, much to Garfield's surprise, was quite busy. "That cannot have gone over well with him. Did he drag you to a burger joint right after?"

Raven let a mischievous smirk play on her darkly painted lips. "Let's just say that he ended up paying for both our dinners, and I'm fairly certain he gets takeout from them every other weekend. But he swore me to secrecy, so don't list me as your source."

Beast Boy let out a shockingly loud laugh at this news. "You can't be serious! Maybe it was an imposter or something. I wouldn't put it past him."

Raven appeared to find her minor victory over her previous teammate extremely amusing, and was gladly gloating about it to whoever would listen. "He'll never admit to it if you ask, but I can assure you, it was definitely Victor."

"I can't wait to try it!" Beast Boy exclaimed excitedly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "It's been a long time since I've actually eaten at a vegan place that didn't use tofu for every one of their dishes. This place looks neat!"

Raven smiled warmly, and Garfield couldn't think of another time when he'd seen her in such good spirits during their final days at Titan Tower.

They managed to squeeze in for a table at the otherwise tight restaurant, thankfully because two people were a whole lot easier to seat than groups of three or more. Nonetheless, Garfield didn't miss the way other diners were staring at them. Normally, he'd have overlooked this behaviour, but, for the second time that day, he came to understand that it wasn't really the changeling they were admiring; it was the lovely empath with the shapely legs, in the tiny, tight skirt and heels. He almost couldn't blame them for it; she was hard _not_ to look at.

Raven's amethyst gaze flitted over the top of her menu as she caught him watching her. Beast Boy was quick to look away, hiding behind his own menu in an attempt to escape her perceptive stare. His neck was feeling uncomfortably hot, and his palms were sweating. He must have read the same description on the menu nearly twelve times before he'd finally understood it.

"Anything you recommend?" He asked her, clearing his throat.

"I've had everything," Raven admitted. "It's all delicious. Their cherry pie is quite impressive considering the ingredients they use, and is one of the local favourites. They also have substitutes that are not tofu, and use seasoning and flavors aside from garlic and onion, as a personal challenge. There's a brief description of the different meat substitutes they utilize in many of their dishes," she finished explaining.

Beast Boy had to grin at her enthusiasm, pleasantly surprised by how animated her features became as she talked. "Wow, Rae. Careful, or you might actually start sounding like a vegetarian."

The dark haired youth didn't seem affronted by his comment in the least. "I've considered it. I'm not a huge fan of meat, to be honest. Of course, don't tell Vic that. But don't get me wrong; I don't like tofu, either. Which is why I quite enjoy this place; it's got none of the above."

To say that he was floored by this glorious little tidbit on his old comrade, would have been a severe understatement. It was as if he was looking at her in a whole new light. "Raven…I never knew…"

She smirked subtly before she took a sip of her herbal tea. "That's because I never told you. I figured you and Cyborg wouldn't shut up about it if I did," she confessed.

"Oh man, I wish you _totally_ had! It would have been amazing to finally have someone on my side for a change!" Beast Boy groaned, clutching at his hair in agitation as he thought of all the losing battles he endured at the hands of his most trusted friend.

Their waitress had turned up just then and, unlike Raven and her co-workers, did not seem to be wearing an obvious, matching uniform. If anything, it was only her notepad and peppy attitude that clued Beast Boy in to her role when she came to stand next to their table. The frizzy haired ginger was dressed very casually, wearing a simple grey t-shirt and a pair of shapely black yoga pants with colourful sneakers to match. The other servers were dressed differently, but in somewhat athletic wear as well. Maybe there was some kind of a uniform after all…

"It's great having you back here, Raven! Introducing us to a new friend of yours?" She beamed at the pair of them.

The empath nodded once. "Hey, Susie. He's actually a vegetarian, so I think he'll really appreciate all of Tom and Bradley's hard work."

The freckled young woman gasped in delight. "Of course! He is Beast Boy after all, and as someone who turns into animals, it's understandable why he wouldn't want to eat them! You're in for a real treat today, honey!" She patted his shoulder in a friendly manner. "If you need any help deciding, or if you have any questions, just give me a shout!" She encouraged him.

"Vegetarian _and_ good service? Might make a regular out of me yet!" Beast Boy exclaimed with a smile.

Once both former Titans had put their orders in, and their waitress had walked off with her little notepad and pen, Beast Boy painfully came to realize that he was alone with Raven. At a cute restaurant, no less. It didn't help that even her current attire screamed 'date material'. Yet again, he felt compelled to argue against the notion, but the more time he spent with her, the harder it was becoming to ignore the obvious tells. She'd even opted for a fantastic vegan establishment instead of plain old pizza, clearly conscious of his dietary needs. He didn't remember if any of his dates, or even his closest friends, had done that for him. It was all way too much to take in. Perhaps she'd just felt guilty after shunning him for so long, and this was her way of making reparations. It certainly felt more plausible than the idea that they were… _dating_.

"I'm sorry if Monica was giving you a hard time. She can be…a bit prickly," Raven stated, drawing him out of his own thoughts.

He briefly considered mentioning the comment that had led him to believe Raven had become active in the dating scene, but decided against it in case it spoiled the mood.

"I'm sure she's just being protective of you," he surmised, not wanting to dwell on the subject.

"That's one way of putting it. Anyways, while we're on the apology train, I think I owe you an explanation for missing the concert." Raven seemed preoccupied with her lap, refusing to make eye contact as she talked.

He bristled at the mention of that particular memory. Not only because Raven had decided last minute to ditch him, but also because he was almost positive that he'd made some poor life choices in the form of a few alcoholic beverages and a cute, red haired girl. He gulped down some water from his glass, trying to diffuse his flushed face. Raven, for whatever God given reason, remained oblivious to his emotions.

"I wanted to come, but Monica's parents kicked her out. So, she had to crash at my place that night. Understandably, she was an emotional wreck, so I had a hard time leaving her behind," Raven revealed to him, appearing sincere in her regret.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is…lunch is on me today," she finally told him, her fingers fidgeting in her lap.

"Hey," he started, catching her apprehensive gaze when she looked up at him. "It's fine, Rae. You don't have to do that. I know things come up and, the good thing about the shows is that we tend to have more than one, so you can always tag along the next time."

Her brows knitted, and the same line between them that only appeared when she was on a stubborn streak, returned. "I _insist_ ," she remained adamant.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, albeit hesitantly. "You win this round, Rae. But I'm buying you a couple of drinks when you finally do come out to a show, as the first honorary Titan in attendance and all." He winked at her impassive expression.

"First?" She raised a brow.

He took in a deep, shaky breath and managed to keep his cool on the subject. "I've tried inviting the others, but they're never available. Justice League and the Bat's got them running around all the time. I would have reached out to you, but I didn't have your contact information, and it just felt wrong to ask for it from someone else," Beast Boy told her truthfully.

Her features became stern as she regarded him with a chilling look, her purple toned eyes like amethyst ice. "You should have anyways. I wouldn't have minded, for the record."

He rubbed his sweating palms against his pant legs. "Well, I mean, you could have always asked for mine if you wanted to as well. So, I guess that makes us even, right?"

She staggered at his candid attitude, but couldn't deny that his words had some truth to them.

"I…I didn't really know how to approach you. We didn't exactly end things on good terms, and I just assumed you resented me for all of it. I did ask about you, all the time…I wanted to be sure you were doing alright," she countered rather meekly, fully aware that words meant little.

Garfield ran a hand through his unruly hair, not exactly sure how much more honest he could get with her after such a forward decree. "I've never resented any of you. Like I said, the Titans were my family. I won't lie and say I'm happy that I hadn't heard from you in so long, but I'm also not the type to hold grudges either, Rae."

He then decided to do something entirely bold and new; he tentatively extended his hand until his fingers brushed against hers on the table. It was the most subtle of grazes, but it was not lost to the empath as she regarded him with wide eyes and parted lips.

"I'm a live-in-the-moment kind of guy, and right now, I'd say that I'm hanging out with a pretty cool friend," he contended with an inviting smile.

Raven stared at the way their fingers brushed, just barely, almost as if she couldn't fathom the sight. He gently stroked her thumb and her wrist, while she watched helplessly as he dragged his index fingers over her delicate skin. It was like witnessing art, the way his earthly green colour collided with the pallor of her own hands. They were alarmingly warm and soft to the touch, and the contact sent a pleasant shiver tingling down her spine. When their waitress arrived with their food at last, Raven withdrew from his touch with lightning speed, pretending it hadn't happened at all.

"Now, we normally don't do this but, that gentleman over there has insisted on buying you a drink, Raven. Said you'd recognize him," the perky redhead explained as she placed a glass with a transparent, green like liquid, blended with crushed leaves and ice, onto their table.

Both the former Titans looked over where the man in question sat. Beast Boy felt his heart hammer in his chest when he recognized the face of the man that had hovered around Raven at the zoo. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable at the way he smiled and waved over at her, Garfield turned his gaze away and tried to focus on the sight of his delicious, colorful plate instead. Raven had nervously shifted in her chair.

"Want me to send him your thanks or…?" Their waitress trailed off innocently.

Raven took in a deep breath before replying. "Sure, I suppose." The empath then turned in her seat and gave him a slow creeping smile, but it did not reach her eyes.

The awkward tension was thick enough to choke them both. Nonetheless, Garfield just didn't know how to deal with the silence and thus, he yet again found a way to put his foot in his mouth. "I take it you know the guy?" He sneered, unable to mask the tinge of bitterness in his tone. Exactly how long had he been watching them, anyways?

"He's probably going to come over here soon enough, so try not to freak out," Raven kindly warned him, playing with the black straw in her new, cold beverage.

Beast Boy scoffed coldly. "Freak out? Why would I freak out? Should I be freaking out?"

She looked up from her plate and gave him a condescending stare before she appeased him with an answer. "Not really, but that hasn't stopped you before."

Beast Boy gave her an incredulous look. "All I'm trying to say here is, if that dude's your boyfriend, he might take issue with you…us… _this_!" He stammered incorrigibly.

"Good thing he isn't my boyfriend, then," Raven added for good measure, although there was certainly a hint of amusement in her tone.

Beast Boy opened and closed his mouth a number of times, never really knowing what to lead with next. He certainly hadn't expected her response to be so…devious. Was she, herself, alluding to their outing as a date?

"You should dip the tempeh in the sauce, it's quite tasty," she swiftly changed the subject, using her fork to point out what she was talking about on his plate.

"Raven…," he said her name through clenched teeth, almost in a growl.

He could smell the musk of the man as he'd started getting closer to them, and he had instantly decided that he disliked his scent immensely. Still, the empath paid his ill-disguised anger no attention. Instead, she nibbled on a piece of steamed broccoli, pretending to be oblivious to her surroundings.

"Fancy seeing you here, Raven. Hope you like the drink. I seemed to recall it being a favourite of yours," came the deep baritone, masculine voice of the intruder.

Raven feigned mild surprise when she looked up into his handsome face. "Jared. I thought you hated vegan food?"

The tall, burly man, otherwise known as 'Jared', gave her a cocky grin. "I guess it grew on me, thanks to you," he replied. His pearly whites gleamed in the daylight pouring through the windows of the establishment.

Raven turned to acknowledge Garfield. "This is my friend, Beast Boy. I'm sure you'll recognize him from his Teen Titans days. We were teammates," she explained simply, gesturing to the changeling just as he'd started feeling invisible.

Jared turned his happy go lucky smile towards the green skinned man, and extended a hand in his direction. "I've heard a lot about you! I have tons of respect for all of you guys and what you've done for Jump City, and the world. It's incredible," he gushed.

Beast Boy still didn't like his scent, even if he was being sincere in his compliments. It was obvious Jared and Raven had some sort of a history, and, judging by the level of attractiveness the man exuded, it wasn't hard to guess the type of relationship the two had had. Still, it unnerved him how little of a threat he seemed to perceive Garfield as. It was like the Teen Titans all over again; poor, puny Beast Boy with his weird ears, strange skin, fangs, and squeaky voice. He didn't stand a _chance_ in landing a girl remotely as attractive as Raven or Starfire. He shook those insecure thoughts out of his head almost as quickly as they had invaded his mind; it had been years since he had last felt that way, and now was not the time to start again.

To remain polite, he took Jared's extended hand, giving the larger man an equally firm squeeze when he'd noticed the bulge of his biceps. He'd have given Richard a run for his money in the muscle department.

"I wasn't nearly as cool as Raven here. She helped stop an apocalypse, after all," Garfield said with a forced smile, eliciting a demure blush from the goth girl.

"Said apocalypse was my fault to begin with," she noted.

Garfield chuckled and shook his head. "No use being so modest about it, Rae. Taking down Trigon is still one hell of a feat."

"Something of a turn on when I know a hot girl can kick my ass," Jared added connivingly, eyeing the demoness with a lewd, azure gaze.

Raven cleared her throat abruptly, growing increasingly distressed by the unmitigated attention directed at her now. "It's been nice seeing you, Jared, and I appreciate the beverage. But we really need to finish up here and leave, or I'll be late for the rest of my shift."

If the older man had taken any offense to Raven's dismissive and chilling brush off, he most definitely did not let it show. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed before placing a heavy hand on her slender shoulder and saying, "Sure thing, babe. Just be sure to give me a ring from time to time. Don't be a stranger."

He then spared a small smile for Garfield before heading back to his own table over by the window. Raven seemed to let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. She'd also somewhat slumped down in her seat while simultaneously appearing to be relieved after Jared was no longer in earshot.

"Good looking dude," Beast Boy slyly commented in between mouthfuls of his dish.

Raven rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be an ass," she chastised.

Yet another Raven mystery Garfield would have to add to the list.

Once they'd both eaten the majority of their delectable meal, and he'd ranted and raved about the quality of the food (even the chefs came out to speak with him), they'd started making the trek back to her place of work. Garfield rubbed his full belly merrily, satisfied with all that he'd consumed. He'd always been grateful for the fast metabolism he'd been blessed with; he could maintain his lean physique no matter how much pie he ate, whereas Dick often ate like a rabbit when he was training.

"I hope you aren't late," he said apologetically, glancing at the time on his new phone.

Raven didn't seem to be bothered by this at all. "I help manage the store, so I have a bit of free reign."

She paused, and did that nervous tick where she tucked a strand of loose violet hair behind her ear. "Thanks again for spending time with me today," she spoke in a quieter voice.

He grinned. "Thanks for inviting me out to an awesome vegan place for chow!"

She smiled weakly back at him. "I'm…glad you enjoyed it so much, despite the intrusion."

He shook his head. "All these years, and you're still somewhat of an enigma, Rae. Don't worry, I won't pry if you don't want me to."

"Message me when the next show is and I promise I'll make it out this time," she said, effectively avoiding his previous comment about her persona.

He nodded. "Of course! It won't have the same quality dishes as Vegan Haven, but it's got some alright finger foods. I personally like the sweet potato fries."

When they reached the café again, it seemed to have thinned out the lunch crowd, but was still bustling with life in the bookstore department. Empty cups and plates were left on abandoned tables, as were a few books and magazines. Beast Boy whistled, "Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, Rae."

She inhaled deeply and tried to mask the frown her elven-like features were working towards. Giving the area a wary side glance, she added, "It always is…"

"Maybe one day, I'll drop by for some of that coffee you mentioned," he tried to say with conviction.

He was sort of looking forward to seeing her again, and it wasn't only to do with his concerns about her well-being. Although, his interactions with the people she'd come to know lately had been strange enough to warrant him worrying, he was also…genuinely enjoying her company, for whatever it was.

He smiled warmly at her, staring at the way the black choker hugged her pale, slender neck. He tried not to blush when his mind wandered into an inappropriate thought. If Raven had picked up on this with her empathic powers, she was kind enough not to rub it in his face.

"You certainly should. We've got a few graphic novels. I can recommend a title or two that I personally enjoy." She nodded vigorously, her grip somewhat tightening on the strap of her bag. Raven chewed on her bottom lip, doing her best to ignore the heat from his eyes that were exclusively on her.

Goodbyes were always a little bit awkward for the changeling, but with Raven, they were somehow even worse. They stood in one another's presence, very much aware of the bubbling tension between them, neither really wanting to leave the other's company.

"Uh, I guess you should get to it, then," he broke the silence, his tone a lot squeakier than he'd intended.

Raven's deep purple orbs danced over to him. "Yeah, I probably should," she admitted reluctantly, her voice becoming a husky whisper.

Her stare briefly flitted to his mouth again, like it had so many times before whenever they'd have to part, and Garfield's heart hammered in his chest as a result.

Screw it.

Before she could walk away from him, he pulled her into a hug.

She stumbled into his arms, her gait unsteady in her heels.

He tried to push out the thought of how her body felt against him, of how she fit so perfectly to his own form. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist and placed his head just over her shoulder, where his nostrils were overcome with a mix of her sweet perfume and subtle shampoo. He fought the more primal urge to nuzzle into her neck, to lick her bounding pulse just beneath the thin material of her choker.

He could feel her small, warm breaths against the skin of his own neck, but much to his surprise, she didn't fight him. Eventually, Raven relaxed a bit into his arms, and it certainly had not been the reaction he'd anticipated. He was almost ready to go into a defensive maneuver if her powers would have overtaken them both. Instead, her small hands came up tentatively to his arms, just below his shoulders, her fingers clinging to the material of his shirt. They danced along the defined musculature of his triceps before shyly slipping beneath the hem of the obstructive clothing to his warm, flushed, and taut skin.

If he didn't think he knew better, he would have heard her hum contentedly into him, as she fed on his own infectious emotions. He steadied his hands and fought the impulse to have them roam the small of her back, knowing that the intimate gesture could offset her. He pulled her in closer, until her firm breasts pushed against him, and the warmth of her belly matched his. The tip of his nose barely brushed against the edge of her ear, and she shuddered involuntarily. The muscles of his jaw clenched, and as a more animalistic impulse overcame him, he effectively ended the embrace.

 _What the hell was he doing?_

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, as his heart and breathing steadily worked their way back into a more normal rhythm.

It was supposed to have been a friendly, warm embrace, to convey to her just how much he appreciated her company. Instead, it had turned into… _something else_. He didn't really understand it, and thought that perhaps it had all just been in his head, hoping that maybe she hadn't noticed. His face felt red hot, and not only because of the weather outside. His pants might have felt a bit more constricting than they had earlier, too, but he chose to ignore that.

Raven, equally flustered by the exchange, bowed her head and said in somewhat hoarse voice, "I-I have to get going."

She then turned on her heel and scurried back into the café without sparing him another glance, leaving him at the mercy of all the customers and employees who had been staring unabashedly the entire time.

* * *

"I just have to stop at the bank real quick to grab some cash. Do you guys mind?"

That was how it had started. Ed, their go-to bassist, had casually asked to stop by an ATM to withdraw money for the evening's adventures. The whole band had decided to go out for dinner after a long jamming session at Lee's rented studio. Matt, Sophie, Lee, Garfield, Ed, and even Larry, the youngest member of their musical ensemble, had decided to make a night of it.

He should have known better. He should have listened to his instincts, but the truth was, he was so used to shutting them out these days that he hadn't paid it enough mind over the hubbub of his friends. A few years ago, and something like this would never have transpired. A few years ago, and he'd have been enough of a hero to join his friends on the Justice League roster. However, as he had been forced to learn repeatedly, things changed.

The lot of them crowded around the machine in the bank as their friend went about his business, conversing, and laughing as easily as they ever did. Lee and Sophie were shyly flirting and teasing one another, Matt was laughing hysterically and cracking jokes at them, Larry was asking Ed for tips on the instrument they both loved to play, and Garfield studied the strange people walking towards the tellers with a sense of deep discomfort and foreboding.

His skin crawled, the hairs on his body all standing on end, and time seemed to move at a slow crawl, but when he'd finally gleaned their true intentions, he'd been a fraction of a second too late; they brandished their guns and opened fire.

Naturally, his first reaction was to keep those around him safe. Just as the three figures whipped out their assault rifles from their duffel bags, Beast Boy knocked Matt and Larry to the ground, shouting out a quick, " _Get down_!" to his other teammates, hoping that they were able to catch on before they could be seriously injured.

Glass shattered around them, screams echoed in his ears as the bullets ricocheted throughout the bank and thudded through human flesh. A few people lay in a pool of their own blood, unmoving. Beast Boy cursed under his breath as he shielded the youngest band member with his own body, feeling the sharp glass that hit him slice into his bare skin. The rubble bruised and battered his back and legs, and his hair was covered in the settling dust just as gunfire briefly ceased. He looked over quickly to see his friends shuddering and crying all around him. Sophie was protectively snuggled into Lee as gentle, dry sobs wracked her body. Ed and Matt were hiding behind the machine, their eyes skittering about maddeningly. Matt was wounded, clutching at his bloodied side where a stray bullet had pierced him. He appeared pale and clammy, and Ed was trying to calm him down unsuccessfully, wiping at his own running nose with the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

"Don't move, and no one else has to die!" One of the shooters cried out, sending the surviving people into another fit of fear.

Beast Boy gritted his teeth and tried to think.

His friend was bleeding out. There was no doubt that there were others who were injured or worse off. Somewhere, a child was crying over the limp body of their mother.

Garfield's hands became tight angry fists as he could nearly hear Nightwing's assertive voice in his head.

 _"Don't try and play hero, Gar. Hang tight, secure who you can, and wait for the Justice League."_

" _Tch_ , damn you, Richard," he growled under his breath as he felt the way the red haired kid trembled from beneath him.

The place reeked of blood and death. The security guard had already been dispatched, but another few rounds of bullets were unleashed at his twitching body until he stilled for good. Sophie covered her ears and whimpered. Matt groaned out in pain while Ed's eyes watered with unshed tears, and his bottom lip quivered. None of them had expected this; none of them had gone out to enjoy the summer night only to find that their lives were about to end.

To hell with it.

To hell with the Justice League, Beast Boy thought. By the time they would even arrive on scene, if they did at all, the perpetrators would have gotten away and murdered even more innocent civilians in the process. He knew how the trigger happy robbers operated, after years of working with the Teen Titans to take them down. They didn't plan on leaving anyone alive. Once they'd gotten their money, they'd shoot up the entire place and make off like bandits.

Having had his teammates on his side in the past, however, had made it a lot easier to make quick work of them. Alone, it was going to be a mission, and he didn't think he was going to come out of it unscathed. He counted the men and women carrying weapons, and realized that during the shootout, more had come in. There were at least six that he could see. The female that had finished off the guard had picked up his gun as well.

Beast Boy let go of Larry and looked among the circle of his terrified friends before offering them a few final words of encouragement. "I'm going to handle this. _Don't. Move_. Don't draw any more attention to yourselves, and no matter what, don't do anything stupid," he urged them in a warning whisper, his voice already taking on the gruff edge of his carefully masked rage.

Sophie stared at him through wet, reddened eyes, but nodded curtly in understanding. Matt's head lolled about in delusion while Ed's hands, covered in his blood, tried his best to stabilize his open wound. Larry was crying softly in the fetal position. Lee was shaking. All but Matt looked at Beast Boy as if they were seeing a different person instead of their friend.

Without another moment of hesitation, Beast Boy shifted into a small, green fly and buzzed away.

* * *

There was a clattering of porcelain as it hit the ground and shattered into a dozen pieces. Raven rushed into the café when she heard the sound from the open door. She'd been busy pouring freshly steeped tea into a customer's cup when she heard the abrupt sound.

She stared openly at her coworkers and customers all huddled around the small television set, appearing terrified and grief stricken at the news footage that played onto the tiny screen.

"…the police are on scene, but a current hostage situation has made it difficult to breach the vicinity. No one knows exactly how many gunmen there are inside at this point in time, but the Justice League has been notified. Many of it's members are currently dispatched elsewhere, but it remains a possibility that, should this stalemate continue, a group of heroes may yet turn up to help turn the tide…," the news reporter's voice droned on in the now silent room, echoing heavily with unspoken words and fear.

The scene she stood before was covered with yellow tape, while the familiar blue and red of police lights flashed in the background. Cops stood by their open car doors, guns at the ready and aimed at the bank entrance. News reporters and their vans littered the outside area like insects at a gathering, held back only by officers of the law. Detectives scrambled about between conducting impromptu interviews and being called away for serious updates on the situation. They had the building surrounded, but a hostage situation was always a delicate one. More often than not, it was a waiting game.

Raven tried to control her anger while her friends and consumers looked terror stricken by the news. She'd never been a fan of the Justice League, and this certainly wasn't helping their cause. Things like this had been precisely why the Teen Titans stuck around; to deal with the too small crime that the League couldn't be bothered with. Since they'd disbanded, a smaller team of 'lesser' heroes were often sent in their place. There'd been talks to bring the Titans back into play, but no one seemed to want to bite the bullet and lead them. It was what many would have considered a demotion.

"This is awful," Grace commented in a breathy whisper, her fingers covering her mouth in comfort as she took in the dreadful sight before her.

Raven glared at the floor, her mouth a tight line, and her nails digging into the palms of her hands until it hurt. The cutlery on the table next to her wiggled to life from an unseen force.

It gnawed at her insides, knowing that she could do nothing to help while people were dying. She'd always been used to saving lives, not standing idly by while they died for no reason.

Just then, a loud roar erupted from the TV speakers, catching everyone off guard, including the newscasters themselves. The camera moved, unsteady as the ground no doubt had shaken from what felt like a minor tremor. For a brief moment, they lost the signal, and everyone was on the edge of their seat, overcome with fear and anxiety. When it came back, another angry, unnatural cry reverberated from within the building walls, and guns could be heard going off relentlessly inside.

The reporter ducked as the ground shook again, and she nearly took a tumble in her heels. Cops seemed to be in high alert, moving around in formation and ready to combat whatever it was that would come out of the bank.

"Something's happening in there! There's…there's something _else_ inside those walls! Almost…like an animal?" The stunned reporter echoed her thoughts into her microphone as she hid behind the van door and peered over at the structure. Her cameraman was currently filming the back of her blonde head, maneuvering ever so slightly to allow viewers to get a better look at the scene while also maintaining a safe distance.

Raven tensed up as her mind puzzled out what was happening. " _No_ …,' she breathed, her brows furrowed in contemplation.

The room erupted into a sudden gaggle of conversation.

"An animal? What could it be?"

"It sounded…big."

"They're shooting at it! Why are they shooting it?"

There was a thunderous crash from within the building, setting loose a few bricks and mortar from their place, and effectively silencing the café once again. They all watched the screen intensely while dust clouds plumed over the fresh carnage.

In the rubble and destruction, there was a brief flash of green, in the tiniest corner of the camera. It slithered back inside before anyone could have made sense of what it was.

"Raven! Was that…was that _Beast Boy_?!"

Grace had turned to acknowledge the demon blooded girl that had stood next to her with a mixed look of confusion, awe, and admiration. She had been looking forward to seeing Raven's expression and figuring out exactly what was happening at one of the major city banks downtown. Could it really be that a former Titan was currently embroiled in a heroic battle for his life, and the lives of many others in that very moment? If so, what were Raven's thoughts on it, having been part of that team once, and fighting alongside him? Where was the Justice League, and why weren't they doing anything about it?

So many questions plagued the girl's mind, and she wanted nothing more than to find some comfort and solace in both her friend and manager.

Instead, she found nothing.

Like a dark wisp that had vanished into the abyss, hibernating from the light, Raven was gone...

* * *

 **A/N:** _Long update is loooong. I figure to make up for the sparse updates, I'd make the chapter longer. It was ideally supposed to end after the date, but I want to introduce other elements for the story before having them move in together. Especially concerning the Justice League, Raven, and Beast Boy's involvement. I know, porn with plot, right? Anyways, you know what to do at this point. Thanks for reading!_


	6. 5 - Fungi

**A/N:** _I apologize for the delay in updates. Life has been…somewhat hectic and I hit a roadblock with this chapter as I rewrote it several times until I finally managed to get it going where I wanted it to go. Black Honey has been a bit easier to write so I've been focusing on that. Not to mention, it's drawing closer to a conclusion whereas Grizzly Bears is hardly in the thick of things. Anyways, without further ado, chapter five, at long last._

 **Grizzly Bears**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **Fungi**

* * *

"I could really use some pants, Dick."

The changeling was stark naked, and with plenty of cameras and reporters on site, it was a little embarrassing being so exposed for the whole world to see.

Beast Boy's clothes were currently left behind somewhere in the rubble of the bank, buried beneath the carnage of the battle. His Teen Titans uniform had been something he'd stopped wearing a while back, and Garfield could still recall the painful memory of the day he'd made the decision to forgo the tired thing altogether.

Nightwing scratched at the back of his head and graced his former teammate with a tight-lipped frown. "One of the EMTs can provide you with a blanket or something," he choked out, obviously trying not to stare too long at the very naked green man in front of him. Richard was not a prude in any sense, however, with the flock of cameras and media attention on them, he was probably only trying to avoid giving the tabloids any ammunition for their ridiculous accusations. Also, he personally hated making the front page of a gossip magazine.

The Justice League, as had been expected, was far too busy to deal with such small-time crime in a city like Jump. Yet, once it had been determined that Beast Boy was on scene, they managed to dispatch a few of the former Titans to help 'investigate', as they would have called it. One of which happened to be the man in the black, skin tight suit, and the infamous, emblazoned blue bird on his chest.

"Uh…right," Beast Boy blushed, keeping his hands over his more private bits while wearing a sheepish smile.

Just then, an amused Cyborg pushed a fresh folded blanket in his direction. Garfield thanked his friend and proceeded to wrap it around his waist before any more civilians snapped photos of his butt for all the internet to see.

"Better?" He asked both judging males once he'd gotten it snuggly tied by his slim hips.

Victor grinned. "Ain't nothing we haven't seen before, B." He clapped the changeling across the back with his robotic hand, hard enough to nearly send him lurching forward.

"Anyone else left inside?" Nightwing changed the subject, his arms folded over his wide chest.

"I'm not sure. I haven't been allowed in ever since I came out. You know how it is with the authorities; they like to keep us from meddling as much as possible," Beast Boy answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

If he was being completely honest, the whole thing had played out like a movie scene, with a naked and bloody Beast Boy limping out of the bank, cradling an injured bandmate in his arms, amidst all the rubble and chaos behind him.

He could hardly see then, his vision blurring from the blood loss and head trauma he'd sustained during his grueling standoff with the gunmen. Every step forward through the dust had been a mission; he had to fight the urge to fall unconscious to the ground, but somehow, he had remained resilient. In the moment, nothing else had mattered but the safety of his friends.

In reaction to this steady train of thought, Beast Boy then glanced over at the stretcher Matt was currently laid on, already hooked up to the necessary medical equipment that would help keep him alive. He was then carefully loaded into the ambulance, with his friends morosely surrounding him, obviously traumatized by everything that had transpired, and overcome with worry and grief. They all appeared distraught, their features grim and gaunt. Sophie's tear streaked face remained etched in Beast Boy's vision, and it was one image that he wouldn't be like to forget any time soon.

"You should sit this one out, B. I think you've earned some rest," Cyborg advised, eyeing the green man's bare, bruised torso with concern evident in his human features.

Beast Boy then snapped out of his depressing state of mind, and grinned wide enough to reveal the gleam of his fangs. Overcompensating for his emotional turmoil was something he did best, and an aspect he'd never quite grown out of. "Come on, Cy. I'm already naked. Besides, healing factor, remember?"

He indicated at the spot below his ribs where a bullet had no doubt punctured through layers of skin, fat, and potentially his liver. By this time, it had already been naturally pushed out by his body's formidable healing abilities, and the wound itself was closing, the edges colouring an angry red while the skin around it purpled in a nasty looking bruise. There were various cuts and discolorations on the changeling's lean torso as well, along with other scabbed over injuries where he'd been grazed by a bullet or three. Although he was doing a lot better now, most of his aches and pains would no doubt worsen with any strenuous activity.

"Cyborg's right; you've lost a lot of blood. Go see to your friends, we'll take care of the rest from here," Nightwing instructed in a stern tone.

Before Beast Boy could argue further on that point, all three friends had their attention drawn away by a sudden but subtle change in the crowds around them, like an auspicious wind that had picked up in the background.

The media was already in a frenzy over the fact that not one, not two, but _three_ former Teen Titans were currently at the same crime scene in Jump City, each news station clambering for a chance to snag photographic evidence of the trio in action. Only the police and yellow tape kept reporters at bay from the catastrophic scene and its heroes.

However, there was a sudden, new surge of excitement among the crowds that seemed to captivate people in increments, eventually even distracting those beyond the yellow tape.

Nightwing, always quick to action, brandished his weapon, looking about the clear night sky with his keen eyes, ready to pounce if necessary. Cyborg's good humor vanished, replaced instead with the austere expression typical of a Justice League member on a mission. A few police officers had their hands nervously running along the butt of their holstered guns even though all the criminals in the vicinity had been placed under arrest.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, didn't pick up any sense of immediate hostility or malevolence in the air, and thus, didn't feel the need to move like a threatened animal. Instead, the wind that picked up around him was faintly tinged with a scent that he could only describe as _Raven_.

As her name steadily grew more coherent among the rabbling crowds, it was only a matter of time before she could be seen levitating overhead against the starry backdrop of the dark blue evening sky, her eyes scanning the ground for someone familiar.

Beast Boy had a knack for always standing out, even in the most bustling of places, and so it came as no surprise that she had paused briefly upon spotting him first, her eyes lingering on him before taking in the existence of the others. Raven made her way towards them shortly after, ignoring the chatter of her name and confessions of undying love from her many adoring fans. If the authorities took up issue with the empath easily skipping over their yellow tape, they'd all been either too cowardly, or far too in awe of her prowess to protest.

She dropped down to the ground next to her old teammates somewhat abruptly, not having the patience for dealing with the petulant ramblings of the media and curious bystanders. Raven had seemingly taken everyone by surprise, even leaving Beast Boy, Nightwing, and Cyborg perpetually speechless for a time. The three males ogled her, wide-eyed and slack jawed, taking in her dishevelled appearance coupled with her uncharacteristic attire; a tight black pencil skirt and a form fitting red dress shirt. Garfield was the only one who immediately recognized her distinct uniform as the one she wore at work, realizing that she'd most likely abandoned her post in a rush to join them. Richard and Victor, on the other hand, were having trouble translating the unusual outfit along with the matching, feminine makeup.

"Well, I'll be damned. Ain't this one hell of a reunion," Cyborg exclaimed, grinning at the slip of a female standing next to him once he'd been able to tear his eyes off her interesting getup.

Richard coughed nervously, clearing his throat. "Not a fan of the leotard anymore, Raven?"

The empath was busy fixing her hair as the deep violent strands had wisped about her face when she'd used her powers to take flight. If possible, Raven appeared paler than usual, and her breathing came in ragged like she'd just run a marathon. Beast Boy also noticed that her dainty, pale feet were bare.

"I'm here to help," she recited icily, her expression serious as she regarded Nightwing with a chilling, amethyst stare, opting to ignore his brazen observation.

Her purple gaze then quickly flitted towards the changeling, betraying a quick moment of weakness upon noting his nudity, and then subsequently, his injuries. "I can heal some of those," she told him bluntly, walking over and drawing on her powers before he could utter a coherent word of protest.

Beast Boy sputtered on the spot, feeling his neck and face flush from the sudden attention she'd unwittingly drawn to them both. The heat emanated from her warm hands with a gentle chant of her spell, her eyes flashing an opaque white as she drew his pain unto her.

Raven's healing abilities were always fascinating to him, even as a Teen Titan. At first, he'd thought that she would simply use magic to make the hurt go away, and the surface wounds to knit themselves back together. However, upon observing her closely as she worked over the ensuing years, he had learned that it hadn't been the case at all.

Even now, he could see the small twitch at the side of her mouth, the briefest flicker of her eyes. Raven _absorbed_ the wounds, drew them upon herself where her healing factor kicked in quick enough to never make it last longer than a fraction of a second.

Nonetheless, he always noticed. The more serious the injury, the harder she had to work to pretend it didn't hurt.

Judging by the grimace she tried to mask, bullet wounds were certainly on the more painful side of the scale, and it was all the empath could do not to keel over.

It was then that Beast Boy instantly remembered how much he'd hated seeing her do it, hated knowing that she willingly suffered to aid others. It had been why he would often go to great extremes to prevent her from using her healing powers on him as much as possible. Raven would reassure him time and time again that her own healing was far too resilient for her to ever sustain any real damage, but Beast Boy had remained steadfast, often lying about the severity of his injuries so that she would leave him be.

"I'd ask for you to leave because, as of now, this has become official League business, but, I'd be lying if I said we couldn't use your help moving some of that rubble to see if anyone is still trapped inside," Nightwing deplored, staring at the entrance to the bank with mild apprehension.

Beast Boy stared guiltily at the ground; even though he'd tried to be as careful as possible, it was hard to prevent any casualties during such a fierce, long battle. Not to mention, his transformation abilities alone were enough to bring the place down without the aid of a group of frenzied criminals emptying their rounds into the walls and pillars that held it together.

Once Raven was satisfied with her handiwork on Garfield's more minor flesh wounds, she stood up straight and adjusted her skirt that had taken to riding up her thighs due to her sheer pantyhose. "Why are you still standing around here then?" She asked her former teammates pointedly, never the type to beat around the bush.

The three men all shared skeptical looks before Beast Boy decided to come clean in regards to his short sighting. "I guess that one's my fault," he started, staring sheepishly at the pavement. "I had to get Matt out of there…I didn't have time to look around for anyone else, not when he was bleeding out like that…" He paused, reliving the awful memory anew before he could find his voice again. "The fight took a lot out of me, as you can tell. I got shot up a bit; can't dodge every bullet, so, I may have needed some time and medical attention for things to heal up. Cy and Night needed me to help them move the rubble out of the way, so they've been waiting for me to come out of shock." A flash of remorse crossed the changeling's features, and he had trouble making eye contact with anyone as he spoke.

No one said anything to that, not even the empath. The silent tension settled around the four of them in a choking thickness, with nothing but the sounds of sirens and police chatter colouring the background.

Raven didn't waste another minute. She approached the bank and began moving the crumbled pieces of stone and brick using her dark magic. Everyone watched her work, mesmerized by her prowess and unusual strength, before Beast Boy, Cyborg and Nightwing joined her to offer a helping hand. The policemen were soon also cooperating with the heroes, and once most of the entryway was cleared, they began searching for any remaining civilians still trapped inside.

Garfield transformed into a giant green elephant, using his trunk to remove debris that had accumulated over top a person's leg, pulling them free and setting their unconscious form on his back. Raven helped Nightwing dig out a limp body, allowing him to assess if the young woman was still alive before he silently draped her arm over his strong shoulders and led her on dragging, mangled feet towards the waiting EMTs outside.

Cyborg cradled the child who'd been crying over his dead mother's bullet riddled body. The kid had put up a fight, not wishing to leave her side when Victor had tried ushering him away to safety. Eventually, however, his tiny fists punching against Cyborg's metal chest transformed into a sobbing embrace, allowing the cybernetic man a chance to easily lift him up and hold him close while he wailed in misery.

Slowly, the team cleaned up the mess and ensured that all involved were cleared from the vicinity. By the time all was said and done, it had gotten quite late; even most of the broadcasting vans had evacuated the area, as had a majority of spectators.

"You know we need to have this talk, Garfield," a very exhausted and emotionally drained Nightwing reminded his old comrade.

Beast Boy, still in nothing but a blanket, took a seat next to his friend on the steps leading up to the building doors. "I know," he responded dejectedly, staring up into the cloudless night sky.

Nightwing rubbed at his temples with gloved fingers before brushing his bangs away from his forehead. "You acted with good intentions, and I do believe that if you hadn't, more people might have died today," Dick started, his pitch laced with sincerity. "That doesn't change the fact that the League isn't going to like it. If you act independently, they'll see you as a vigilante that needs to be reigned in. In their minds, you'll be nothing more than a liability; someone who could do more damage than good. I'm not saying that I necessarily agree with them; I know you better than that, but I don't want to have to start keeping an eye on you because of this."

"You mean like the way they make you keep an eye on Raven?" Beast Boy noted coldly.

Nightwing seemed to be caught off guard by the changeling's question, and the confusion played with his handsome features before a grimness settled in instead. "Better me than any of the others," he replied sternly, a dark edge to his voice.

"I saved my friend today, Dick. Don't think for a minute that I wouldn't do it again, vigilante or not. Besides, I'm pretty _clear_ on how the Justice League feels about me and my performances." Beast Boy couldn't help the bitterness that coloured his tone. "What were their exact words again?" He didn't bother giving Nightwing a chance to answer. "Oh, yeah. _Underwhelming and incompetent_. In other words, _weak_. Yet, not weak enough to not be considered a threat whenever I so much as infringe on their territory, I guess."

Then he threw back his head and laughed darkly, the sound far more spiteful than jovial. "Maybe I ought to get more involved with vigilante work again; at least it would encourage you and Vic to pay me more personal visits from time to time."

Nightwing didn't seem to be angered by Garfield's cold brush off. Instead, the normally emotionally reserved man appeared contrite, effectively humbled by his friend's not so subtle accusation.

"I'm sorry, Gar…I know it's no excuse but, I'm still a bit of an errand boy for the League, on top of running a few of my own…investigations." Richard kept his head down, his shoulders slumping forward like he'd very well been carrying the weight of the world on them.

Beast Boy finally regarded him with a less sarcastic intonation, the deep betrayal obvious in his expression as his anger gave way to his true feelings of abandonment. "It's been _years_ , dude. Rae tells me you guys pop by every now and again to have lunch. We're in the _same city_. I'm a phone call away," he whined.

The shapeshifter had expected the other man to formulate another excuse, or at the very least, a weak apology. However, the infamous detective's protégé clued in to an entirely different piece of information instead. Nightwing raised his brows in somewhat of a surprise, and asked, "You and Raven hanging out a lot now?"

Beast Boy, no longer trusting his own foolish mouth, stood up hastily and wiped his sweaty palms against the soft material of the blanket tied around his waist. "We might have…reconnected," he gulped, not really knowing why it was so difficult to admit to such a thing in the first place.

Nightwing's lips curved into a small, knowing smile then, clearly amused by what Beast Boy had revealed. "Well that's news. Explains why she might have rushed over here straight from work."

He looked to be mulling over the recent events in his mind, no doubt scrutinizing his memories with a new perspective this time around. Garfield's eyes widened at Nightwing's insinuation. "What's that supposed to mean?" He stammered.

Nightwing broke into an unsettling grin. "Relax. She told me she saw you on the news and figured you might have needed a hand," he explained.

"Awfully nice of her…" Beast Boy scratched at his ear, wondering if the empath was still helping Cyborg with loading up the final survivors, and dealing with the grief-stricken families.

"It's good you two are together," Nightwing admitted, the tension leaving his body gingerly as the topic changed into something more positive.

"Woah, Dick, I think you have the wrong idea here. We're just friends. We're not together, _together,_ or anything like that," Beast Boy clarified nervously. It was a little unsettling how many times he felt the need to clarify that.

"I know that. I didn't mean to insinuate the two of you were dating," he smirked in amusement, and Beast Boy couldn't tell if he was mocking him, or simply interested in his newfound friendship with the empath.

"Raven's gone through some tough times. She can really use a good friend like you. I can't be there for her like I used to, even if I try. Knowing she's got you around eases my mind a little," he confessed, his diffident charm returning in full force.

Typical Richard; the man was always stretched thin trying to be everywhere at once, and do everything at the same time. Truly a one-man acrobat.

"Tough times?" Garfield queried in a soft voice.

Richard stood up to his impressive height, easily towering over Beast Boy by a few inches. "I can't say I agree with her methods of dealing with it, but who am I to judge? Just do me a favor and stick around, be there for her when she needs it." He clapped Beast Boy's shoulder gently, and the two shared a moment of quiet understanding.

"You two done hashing things out?" Cyborg called over, his hands on his hips as he stared up at them with a mocking grin from the bottom of the steps.

Garfield returned the smile, although he almost wished that he could have picked at Nightwing's statement a little bit longer. Everyone close to Raven seemed to know that something wasn't quite right with her, and Beast Boy was determined to find out why that was. He just had to stay patient.

As both Victor and Raven came up to join them, Richard noted, "Well, we've still got a few hours to kill before the flight back, may as well make a night of it. Drinks on me?"

Cyborg pumped his arm into the air, "Heck yeah! I'm always down if _you're_ payin'."

Nightwing chuckled, shaking his head in regret.

Raven, on the other hand, remained sombre, choosing to observe the changeling with a solemn look. "Did you want to go check in on your friends instead, Beast Boy?"

It was like being struck in the face by a snowball on a perfectly sunny day. On the one hand, he was worried about them all, most especially Matt. On the other, he hadn't seen Victor or Richard in so long, and he very well didn't know when the next opportunity would arise. Beast Boy felt more torn than ever, the guilt like a wad of sand stuck in his throat, rendering him speechless.

Deep down, Garfield knew the correct answer, even if it was a struggle to admit to it.

With his head hanging low and his eyes downcast, he muttered, "I have to go see them…"

Raven nodded curtly in agreement while both Dick and Victor shifted uncomfortably on the spot. "Good. Then it's settled," she stated matter-of-factly. "I'll hail us a cab."

" _Us_?" Beast Boy repeated in disbelief.

Raven, who had already started walking towards a payphone, turned her head to spare Garfield a deadpan stare. "You heard them; their flight is in the morning. There's no reason why we can't _all_ go down to the hospital. It'll boost morale for everyone to see us all together again," Raven explained.

The empath then sighed irritably. "Minus Starfire, who apparently had to hold everything down in Bludhaven until Dick gets back."

Richard raised his arms up defensively. "Hey, stop acting like that's _my_ fault," he rebutted.

"It _is_ your fault," she corrected him.

Nightwing responded with a chuckle, his shoulders shaking with mirth. "It's okay, Raven. She misses you, too, you know. She wants to do another girl's night soon."

Raven's pale face turned a more noticeable pink. However, she didn't deny anything and, instead, turned on her heels and skulked away towards the payphone.

"I don't care what we're doing, but Dick's still paying for a night of drinks in the very near future," Cyborg said, folding his arms over his chest in disgruntlement.

"Uhm, guys. As much as I like this crazy idea, I still don't have any pants…," Beast Boy articulated, staring down at the thin fabric that was the only barrier between his boy parts and the rest of the world.

* * *

Matt was in stable condition by the time the four of them would arrive at the hospital, with a fully clothed Beast Boy in tow. He'd forced them to make a quick stop by his apartment beforehand, and the taxi ride there had been just as awkward as anyone could expect it to be when one individual was practically naked.

Thanks to the impromptu delay, it was well past visiting hours at Jump City Central, but the heroes were immediately granted special privileges upon recognition by the staff, who were more than overjoyed by their unexpected presence.

Raven, Beast Boy, Nightwing, and Cyborg had gone all over the hospital, paying visits to anyone who wished to meet and greet them, before finally finding Beast Boy's friend Matt in recovery. When they happened upon the room he was in, they found Sophie curled up next to Lee on the sofa, passed out and sleeping soundly against him while he stroked his fingers through her unruly, golden hair. Garfield could feel his throat constrict, and his heart drop into the pit of his stomach at the sight. He hesitated a bit in his step.

Lee stirred when they entered the room, his eyes bugging out upon noticing who had stepped through the door.

"This has got to be a dream," he whispered, rubbing at his tired eyes in disbelief.

Matt remained comatose, the room quiet except for the gentle beeping and whirring of the machines that were sustaining and monitoring him. Sophie fidgeted, her expression changing from one of comfort to annoyance when Lee shifted beneath her grasp. Slowly, her sky-blue eyes blinked open, and she turned to see who had disturbed her slumber.

"We didn't mean to wake you. Beast Boy just really wanted to check in on you guys, and we figured we'd tag along," Cyborg explained, his human features softening as both Lee and Sophie regarded him with wonder and awe.

"Oh, my goodness, you're _real_ ," Sophie breathed in bewilderment, her eyes travelling down Cyborg's impressive metal body.

It was always somehow a different experience, meeting the heroes in real life and up close rather than seeing them on a television screen or from a building window. As a majority of the former Titans crowded inside the small hospital room, Sophie and Lee gawked openly at each and every one of them, even Garfield himself. The way they gazed at him was somehow different now; it wasn't their friend, or their bandmate they saw anymore. They saw something else, something new, like he'd become an entirely different person, standing amongst such great heroes after he'd singlehandedly saved their lives.

Nightwing smiled warmly before stepping forward in greeting. "I'm glad you are all okay; any friend of Beast Boy's is a friend of ours." He proceeded to shake Lee's hand with a firm grip, while the bedraggled male stared up at him like he was familiarizing with a ghost.

"I think they're a little star struck, Nightwing. Maybe we should give them a minute to adjust," Raven piped up. Next to the other two men, she appeared slight and delicate, but anyone who knew her knew better than to judge on appearance alone.

Sophie's eyes widened, and she patted Lee's shoulder excitedly. "I-It's her. It's _Raven_! I told you that she came because of Gar!"

Raven flushed, a scowl gracing her pixie-like features, her arms folding over her chest. "I came to _help_ ," she reiterated coldly for the second time that day.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy hovered in the background, not entirely sure how to proceed.

He could see the tiredness in their faces, the pallor of their cheeks, the dark circles beneath their eyes, the tangled mess of their hair. There was still soot and dust on their clothes and skin, and they appeared to have aged significantly with the gauntness in their otherwise youthful features. He knew he shouldn't have, but he felt overwhelmed by a nagging guilt. It was misplaced, deep down, he realized that, but Garfield couldn't shake the feeling like there was more he could have done.

"We've always been huge fans of yours. What you do, saving the world, it's amazing! I can't believe we get to finally meet you! I mean, Gar's been trying to get you to come to a show for years, but we figured you were busy out fighting for our lives and all that. Anyways, my name's Lee, and this is Sophie," Lee rambled, a huge grin plastered onto his tired face.

Three of the former Titans immediately appeared remorseful. Always the leader, Nightwing couldn't help but speak up for all of them. "Yeah, we're really sorry about that. We want to come, of course, it's just…things have a bad habit of cropping up when you least expect them to. Beast Boy can keep us in the loop, and next time there's a performance, we'll do our best to stop on by," he reassured them confidently.

"Are those Garfield's sneakers?" Sophie suddenly blurted out, staring at Raven's feet.

The empath nodded when attention was drawn to the pair of too big, low top converse shoes she had on. The black cloth was stained and old, with the laces a muddy brown instead of white. "I'm not good in heels," she admitted with a shrug.

"Why'd you give her such a ratty pair, Gar?" Sophie argued, fixing her blue glare onto the green changeling.

He paused, taken aback by the sudden accusation. "I didn't have anything else, and she was adamantly against loafers and dress shoes," he shrugged, sparing Raven a pleading look for help.

She ignored him.

"If Matt was awake, he'd give you a good earful, Gar," Sophie added jokingly before the grimness of her words settled in like a slow and infectious poison.

Beast Boy glanced over at his comatose friend, still oblivious to the world around him, and his heart ached. Matt, out of all his closest friends, would have been the one most overjoyed with the presence of the Titans. Although the doctors had reassured them that he was currently in stable condition, he'd lost a lot of blood and had yet to wake. They were going to keep him there, to monitor him just in case, but the others couldn't help but worry.

Beast Boy gripped the bars of the bed rails until his knuckles paled, angrily fixing his verdant glare at a spot on the stiff looking blanket and willing his eyes not to water. Like him, Matt was an orphan, so there was no one coming in to check on him besides his friends. Maybe that was why it hit him the hardest, having to see him in such a state and feeling utterly responsible for his condition. No matter how many times it happened, Garfield could never get used to having to see someone he cared about hurt because of him.

"You saved him, you know. He'd be dead if it weren't for you."

Much to everyone's surprise, it was Raven who had broken the silence. She stood next to him, tentatively raising a hand to his shoulder because she still didn't know how else to comfort someone with such complex emotions. When he met her eyes, she was staring at him softly and with the briefest hint of a smile, just like she had back when he'd beaten himself up for hurting her, and when he'd let Terra go, along with all his other greatest failures. Although she hadn't always been good about cheering him up, Raven had always been there at the lowest points in his young adulthood. It was a shame that she was so quickly thrust back into such a role after only just coming back into his life.

Sophie stood up then, her bottom lip quivering as she fought back more tears. Her small hands became shaking fists at her sides while she tried to contain her strong emotions. The young girl's eyes were already red rimmed and puffy because of the crying she'd done prior, and it was taking all her self control not walk into Garfield's warm chest and embrace him tightly. "She's right. You did save him. You saved all of us. Without you, we…we'd never have made it out of there." Her voice cracked and her eyes watered. Lee's arm went around her instinctively, rubbing her back in a gentle caress as she bit back a wretched sob.

"Soph…," he said her name, wishing for a moment that he could be Lee; that he could be the one to find ways to comfort her with just a single touch. He yearned for it, and it broke his heart all over again, knowing that it would never be him.

"You two need to go home and get some proper sleep. You're not doing anyone any good this way," Cyborg interjected, but not without a hint of empathy in his tone.

"Cy's right," Garfield agreed in a steely voice, squashing his own insecurities before they got the better of him. "Go home, come back in the morning after you've rested. Today wasn't easy on anyone."

He spoke without meeting their gaze, staring down instead at Matt's hand, where the IV catheter had been slid into his vein. Wisps of his green hair fell into his eyes, knowing he couldn't stand a chance if he took in the sight of them leaving. It was hard enough to choke out such an unfeeling command in the first place.

"But, Gar…," Sophie called out in protest. Lee hushed her and whispered something into her ear before gently drawing her away.

"It really was a pleasure, meeting you all. Sort of wish it was under different circumstances, but I guess it makes sense we'd meet the Titans after a crisis," Lee admonished. "Maybe once Matt gets better, we can all go for some drinks and chat for a bit. Whenever you aren't too busy, of course."

"You got it," Cyborg smiled. Richard nodded his assent, and they watched the young couple walk away, Sophie tucked against Lee while he held her close by the shoulders, his leather jacket hanging off her smaller frame.

"Damn, B. Ain't she a looker? How in the heck haven't you made a move on her yet?" Cyborg teased, nudging the changeling's arm with his elbow.

Raven bristled. "She seems like she would be your type…"

Nightwing threw his head back and laughed. "You mean, cute, petite, and blonde? It's a pretty generic scope, if you ask me."

"Says the dude with a penchant for redheads," Cyborg added, earning a glare from his former leader. "Did you ever tell Star about Batgirl?"

Richard's face paled, his lips becoming a tight line while Raven witnessed the exchange with amusement lighting her eyes. "Nobody asked you, Cyborg."

Victor's grin only widened as he bit back a hefty urge to chuckle, having achieved his goal with the unsolicited commentary.

"Matt's favourite is Starfire," Beast Boy wistfully recalled, his voice and expression still sullen as he gazed at his friend's unconscious form.

He brushed the kid's errant brown hair from his face, careful not to mess with the straps that kept his oxygen mask on. "He lies and says it's me, but I'm pretty sure I'm a close second."

"Can't say I blame him," Nightwing added not without a hint of pride for his girlfriend.

"Lee likes Cyborg, and Sophie's favourite is you, Raven," Beast Boy went on, turning his attention to the unsuspecting empath.

She was quick to mask her surprise with stoicism. "It's almost like everyone forgot how I nearly destroyed this world thanks to daddy dearest," she remarked dryly.

"That moment didn't define you, Raven. It never has," Garfield told her with a shake of his head, his green gaze confident and piercing when he met her stare.

The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard and effectively left her speechless.

Then, Garfield smiled at her; genuinely smiled, the happiness in his features setting his whole face aglow with the emotion. "Thanks for coming to… _help_ , Rae. It meant a lot to me, I mean…to them." His face flushed at the misstep of his words, very much aware of their audience.

Raven stammered unattractively at the compliment, rolling her eyes so that she didn't have to meet his eyes. "Yeah, well, you would have done the same."

"Aw, it's cute seein' you two getting along so well," Victor interrupted, throwing his arms around both their shoulders.

Beast Boy turned to the other two in the room, still wearing a smile when he acknowledged them. "I know the Justice League mostly made you, but I'm still glad you guys came by, too. Next time, bring Star."

Nightwing appeared far more light hearted than he had upon their initial reunion. "Let me know how your friend is doing, and we'll certainly set up a get together," Richard digressed.

They spent a bit more time with Matt before deciding it was getting late and should probably leave. Nightwing and Cyborg said their final goodbyes before taking their own cab to one of Richard's apartment complexes, courtesy of Bruce Wayne, while Raven and Beast Boy found their own way home.

"Your friends seem nice," Raven attempted to make small talk as they both waited for a taxi outside of the hospital.

"You should meet the rest of them," he replied proudly.

"Maybe when I'm not dressed so ridiculously." She stared down at her now haphazard work uniform, coupled with the mismatched sneakers that did not fit her at all.

"I think you look edgy," Garfield remarked, smirking.

Raven sighed. "I feel like I need to bathe in bleach."

He sniffed at her then, only mildly unsettling her this time around. Beast Boy picked up a whiff of coffee beans, baked goods, sweat, and a mild vanilla perfume, most likely from her deodorant. "I've smelled worse," he concluded with a shrug.

Raven scoffed. "Of course you have. You can shift into any animal, most of which don't exactly smell like scented candles."

Beast Boy wrinkled his nose. "I've got a wicked sensitive sense of smell, Raven. I can't handle too much of that sweet stuff. Excessively perfumed ladies and gents make me want to turn tail and run."

"Unless they're toting assault rifles, in which case, you knock them all out and become Jump City's hero again," Raven added, although there was no hint of sarcasm in her tone.

When she felt his eyes on her, she absent-mindedly tucked her hair behind her ear and chewed on her bottom lip. "Considering you were all alone, you did well today, Gar. I'm…impressed."

"Did…did you just call me _Gar_?" He couldn't help the enormous grin that split his face.

Raven jutted out her bottom lip and frowned. "Yeah, so? Am I not allowed?"

He shook his head adamantly. "No, no! Of course you are! It's just…you've never called me by my real name before, let alone by my nickname. It's a friendship milestone, Rae!"

Raven stared at him, her expressive eyes an inky violet in the darkness of the night. "I just told you that you impressed me in battle, and all you can focus on is the fact that I called you Gar?"

" _Friendship. Milestone_ ," he enunciated, choosing to gloss over her question entirely.

She let out a sigh, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth anyways. "You're truly something else, you know?"

"So I've been told," he agreed.

"Still, that doesn't let you off the hook for doing something pretty reckless. Richard was right to reprimand you. Taking on a team of professional criminals alone could have had a much more gruesome result," she chastised him, jabbing him in the chest with her index finger while fixing him with a frown.

"Not you too, Rae. We just became closer, and you've got to go echoing the Justice League?" He whined with a roll of his eyes. "I get it; I was wrong to have gotten involved and many people were hurt today because of me, blah blah. I already feel like shit about it, so you don't need to rub it in." The sarcasm in his tone was palpable.

Raven stilled, her expression changing to one of confusion coupled with irritation. "You're an idiot. I said that you made a difference today, and I meant that. What I was talking about was _you_. _You_ could have been killed out there," she clarified, her voice remaining fluid and emotionless despite the concern her words mirrored.

This gave Beast Boy pause as he slowly gleaned what she'd meant.

"You were worried about me?" He asked, somewhat surprised. Raven had turned her head so that all he could see was the dark purple shade of her hair.

When she didn't answer him, he shifted closer to her until his shoulder brushed hers. "Sorry; I'm not really used to anyone worrying about _me_ , Rae. But I'm not as out of shape as you might think." He flexed his biceps from beneath his hoodie, and Raven scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"These babies didn't just invent themselves, I'll have you know! I've kept training even after the Justice League rejected me." He pretended to kiss his smaller but defined muscles.

Raven peered at him curiously, knowing what he'd admitted to but wise enough not to press the issue. "Next time, get some backup. Dick might occasionally be busy working for Batman, but he's got his own head, too. I know for a fact that if you call him, he'd come running. The same goes for Victor and Kor'iandr."

She averted her gaze to the pavement when she added in a quieter voice, "You have me, too, obviously."

Beast Boy felt his mouth go dry. The silence stretched on as he gulped nervously and, not knowing how to properly address her less than subtle statement, blurted out the first thing that came to mind; "I-I think your cab's here."

Sure enough, the familiar yellow vehicle was turning into the hospital's parking lot, it's bright headlights illuminating the ground in front of it.

"Yeah, uhm, hey." She stood before him then, picking at the hem of her skirt and fumbling for the right words to say. "I want to meet the rest of your friends so, invite me out to the next show or outing or whatever."

She was trying hard to appear as nonchalant about the whole thing as possible, but Garfield recalled her saying that she had wanted to spend more time with him, and it left him with butterflies in his stomach. He smiled and tucked his hands into his jean pockets. "Sure thing. Just make sure to bring back my sneakers. They have sentimental value," he winked.

He should have hugged her as the cab pulled up, but the last time he'd tried that, the end result had left him flustered and confused. Not to mention, strangely aroused, but he refused to admit to that.

Anyone else and he would have wrapped his arms around them, no questions asked. Raven and Beast Boy had certainly surpassed that level of comfort in their relationship, and yet…somehow, they hadn't. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel everything was different with Raven.

"Text me when you get home," was the last thing he told her as she opened the taxi door.

Raven nodded once before getting into the backseat, telling the driver her address before closing the door.

By the time Garfield had gotten home and slumped weakly into his bed face first, his phone vibrated to life in his pocket, alerting him to two things; one, that Raven had gotten home safely, and two, that she was going to kill him when he told her how his new, fancy mobile screen had gotten smashed in during the fight.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Some good news; the next chapter is written. It needs an edit but once it does, it'll be posted shortly. Basically, I winded up making this chapter far too long to compensate for the lack of an update and wound up with over twenty pages of work (unedited). So, I decided to divide them up instead. Expect an update sooner than later. Feedback, as per usual, is appreciated. Apologies again for the length of time this took. Real life and all that jazz. Thanks for reading!_


	7. 6 - Zooplankton

**A/N:** _Apologies for the delay in updates, and for the lack of response to reviews. I really need to get my shit together. On the upside, the surplus of BBRae hate inspires me to write more for the ship. So, there's that._

 **Grizzly Bears**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 **Zooplankton**

* * *

Now, there was a perfectly good explanation for this.

There had to be.

Beast Boy was almost, _almost_ certain that nothing of a lewd nature had occurred between them.

It couldn't have.

Yet, for the life of him, he couldn't remember the previous night.

How did they end up in his room?

How did they end up in his _bed_?

More importantly, where were his clothes?

Garfield was nothing but a jittery cluster of nerves as he paced helplessly outside of his bedroom door, clad in nothing but a pair of his printed boxers.

He clutched at the thick brush of his tousled hair, and tried his damnedest to think past the wicked hangover he was currently nursing.

Think.

 _Think_.

It was always best to work backwards.

Before he'd come out of his room to miserably pace the halls of the small apartment complex, Beast Boy had been laying in his bed, fast asleep.

His dreams had been jumbled and nonsensical, and he could barely recall the content while it felt like someone was using his brain for bongos.

Finally, when he'd peeled open his eyes, his head snuggled into the soft pillow, he'd caught a flash of violet against the crisp, white sheets.

Initially, he couldn't comprehend it.

He'd been too sleepy, still in the thralls of dreams and only just awakening to the pulsing headache working between his temples.

Maybe he'd imagined it; maybe the bounding pain in his skull was affecting his vision, and making him see strange colours that weren't there.

But then the mattress had shifted, and Beast Boy found himself face to face with a sleeping beauty.

Boy, had that been one hell of a wake-up call.

Like a bucket of ice being dumped onto his naked, unsuspecting body, the heaviness of sleep was eradicated and Beast Boy had joined the world of the living. His eyes shot open, and he stared blankly ahead at the soundly sleeping girl beside him.

The curve of her exposed, milky shoulder had been an alarming point to note, and it made Beast Boy's heart sink to his stomach with dread.

It certainly wasn't the first time he'd woken up in his bed next to a naked female while having barely any recollection of how he'd gotten there.

However, this wasn't just _any_ female.

This was _Raven_.

Any other girl, and it was usually obvious that they'd had sex the night before, but with Raven, Beast Boy was genuinely conflicted.

He couldn't remember. More importantly; he couldn't _believe_ it.

Not being able to handle the sight of her snuggled so close, her naked, warm legs brushing against his, Beast Boy had carefully gotten out of bed and snuck out of his room.

To think.

But also to berate himself.

"I'm proud of you, man. Didn't think you had it in you."

His roommate's voice carried, and somehow, the pang in Garfield's head grew worse. He stopped pacing, and turned to acknowledge the other man in the hallway.

His older, scruffy looking friend gave him a sly smile, his thick, dark brows raised in amusement. He was leaning against the wall, his beefy, tattooed arms folded over his chest, all the while his brown eyes remained fixated on the changeling. It was obvious he'd only recently woken up as well; he was clad in just a pair of striped pajama pants, and the thick black hair of his fauxhawk was very much in disarray.

Garfield served his roommate an anxious stare. "What do you mean? Did you see us come in last night? Oh God, did you _hear_ anything last night?" Beast Boy clutched at his hair in agony, his eyes practically bugging out. "Please don't say you heard any moaning, _please_!"

The other man's smile only seemed to grow wider while watching Beast Boy flounder so helplessly in front of him. He then moved towards him and firmly clapped his hand onto his shoulder, leaving it there. "Relax, man. She's a total hottie. You did good," he reassured him.

Beast Boy forcibly removed his hand from him, annoyed, and fixed him with a stern glare. "That's _not_ what I asked. Tell me what happened last night, dude," he reinforced with more confidence, trying desperately to ignore the throbbing pain in his head and stay focused.

His roommate appeared a little stunned by the fury of the shorter, smaller man before him, and his smile had been quick to wane as a result. As he opened his mouth, probably to word an apology and potentially explain the situation, Beast Boy's bedroom door creaked open, effectively leaving both of them perpetually silenced instead.

The noise stole both of their attention, and they immediately turned to acknowledge the new individual who had joined them in the corridor.

Beast Boy blanched, forgetting what oxygen was, and grew as still as stone. All his years playing hero against various evil villains that had been out for his blood, and the mere sight of a mostly naked female was all it took to put the fear of God in him.

Raven stepped out, yawning. She'd stretched one of her arms over her head and stood on her tiptoes before blinking the sleep out from her eyes. Her short, violet hair was askew, a few strands sticking up in static wisps, and she scratched at the spot behind her ear before turning towards the two men currently gawking at her.

After a few agonizingly long seconds of their eyes locking in what Beast Boy felt was an uncomfortable, heated exchange, Raven slowly blinked half-lidded eyes and padded towards them on bare feet. Casually, she stepped past them, throwing over her shoulder a lazy, gravelly; "Morning."

They watched her go with jaws dropped, their eyes following her as if they couldn't unglue them from her stark nudity.

Raven was wearing a pair of lacy lavender underwear, a button-up, crisp, white collared shirt that was very much _unbuttoned_ , a black, lacy bra, and nothing else. The shirt had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and it hung loosely about her trim waist. Garfield recognized it immediately as his own. Right by her belly button, there was a small beauty mark, and Beast Boy gulped trying to will away his dry throat.

Garfield and Brian exchanged glances before both deciding to follow her towards the kitchen. They nearly stumbled through the entryway, both with differing reasons as to why they pursued her, but with equal fervor.

Raven was filling up the stainless-steel kettle with water from the tap, no doubt gearing up to make herself a mug of tea. She paid no mind to the bumbling boys shamelessly ogling her.

Before Beast Boy could properly formulate any cohesive thought, let alone a sentence, Brian sidled up next to her first, wearing what Garfield could only assume was his charmer smile.

"You know, you and me could-"

"No," Raven dryly interrupted him, effectively shutting him up. She never bothered to bring her eyes up from her task.

Beast Boy didn't think he'd ever seen his roommate more flustered and embarrassed. He would have laughed if he wasn't already feeling so tense.

Not one to take no for an answer, and clearly trying to show off his prowess with the fairer sex, Brian tried again, this time while leaning in on the counter next to the sink. "You shouldn't be so quick to judge, you know."

Beast Boy could almost see the way the vein at Raven's temple throbbed in agitation. She closed her eyes and sighed, shutting the tap off before turning to face the tanned mountain of muscle standing beside her. "Still no. You tried this last night; what made you think my answer was going to change?"

Brian leaned back, almost defensively. He appeared to be tongue tied and a bit baffled by the rejection. "I just thought that maybe the two of us-I mean, _three_ of us, could go grab some breakfast," he amended.

A small but wicked smile played along the empath's luscious lips. "Depends." Her eyes flitted in Beast Boy's direction, catching his gaze, and there was something almost seductive about the way she regarded him, unblinking. "Is Gar up for breakfast after all the eating he did last night?"

To say that all the blood had drained from the changeling's face would have been a vast understatement. Beast Boy stood stalk still, a million thoughts running through his mind, his face feeling as if he'd stuck his head directly into a furnace. The pounding of his heart was in his ears, and he was left utterly speechless.

An awkward and terse silence settled in the room, and then Raven moved to put the kettle on the stove.

"Gar, you dog," Brian whispered, making his way around the island to give the green skinned boy both a crooked smile and an eager punch to the arm.

Beast Boy seemed to sputter on the spot. "I didn't… _we_ didn't…I mean, there wasn't any eating…I didn't _eat_ anything," he protested to no avail. All colour seemed to have drained from the changeling's face.

Brian had shaken his head, and walked off smirking to himself, leaving Beast Boy alone to contend with his doubts.

Raven had come back to the sink, where she was proceeding to grab a clean mug from a cabinet, very much not interested in what had just transpired.

"Uh…Rae?" Beast Boy licked his lips after finally finding his voice again.

"Hm?"

"You, uhm…maybe wanna explain to me what exactly happened last night?"

There was a beige, ceramic jar that had TEA written on it in bold letters, and Raven fetched a small bag from inside it. "You mean, you don't remember?"

Beast Boy flushed. "I think I got wasted," he confessed.

As the kettle warmed up, Raven leaned her back against the counter, arms folded under her bosom, and stared directly at the boy across from her. Then, with a defeated sigh and roll of her eyes, she said, "Relax; we didn't have sex. I just wanted to get your gross roommate off my case."

Beast Boy sighed with relief, feeling as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry if I disgust you." There was a brash coldness to her tone, and when Garfield tried to read her expression, she remained stoic.

He blinked a few times, unsure of what to say. "You don't - You don't disgust me, Rae." He shook his head, but somehow, he didn't feel like it was enough.

Raven stared at the teabag in her hands and Beast Boy stared at her, feeling like a wad of cotton was lodged in his throat.

"It doesn't matter," she brushed it off, turning and giving him her back. "I drove you home at your friends' insistence, and then you begged me to stay. So I did."

Beast Boy grimaced, feeling both humbled and embarassed. "I, uh, I'm sorry. I'm sort of a clingy drunk."

There was a light chuckle of agreeance from the empath. "I noticed."

At that, he groaned audibly. "Tell me I didn't say or do anything stupid."

Raven shrugged her shoulders. "You might have said something about my scent, and you kept sniffing at my neck, but otherwise, I'd say the cuddling was expected."

Beast Boy's jaw dropped, humiliation making him wish that he'd never left his bed in the first place. "I…I'm sorry." It was all he could manage to say.

A small smile tugged at the empath's lips. "Nothing I'm not already used to. You did some pretty weird things when we were just teenagers, too. I figured it just had to do with the whole animal thing."

He slumped his back against the counter, bringing his hands to rub at his tired eyes and the aching pulse that bounded from behind them.

The kettle started to whistle.

"One second we were at the pub, celebrating Matt's recovery, the next…the next…," Beast Boy tried to recall the events of the evening to no avail.

Raven had poured the boiling water into the mug and was steeping her tea. "The next, you were challenged to a drinking competition, and you and the band, save for Lee, did a round of shots," she filled in the gaps for him.

"God, Rae, I'm so sorry. I invited you out to this thing, and…I screwed it all up, didn't I?" He cradled his head in his hands, feeling guilty for his childish behaviour.

To think; they had been getting along _so_ well. He'd thought that maybe, after all these years, things had finally changed between them.

Heck, he had been more than just a little bit surprised when she'd agreed to attend Matt's get-together at all. Garfield had sent her a text asking her to tag along only because of Matt's persistence. The drummer had claimed that he wanted as many heroes there for the festivities as possible. They saved his life after all; he figured the least he could do was cover their drink tab. Garfield had begrudgingly told the kid that chances were unlikely, and, although he would never admit it, he was still a bit embittered regarding Raven's _last_ brush off.

Her response, shockingly, had come in pretty instant.

Funny how one sentence was almost capable of stopping his heart.

 _'Sure. I'll come by your place first.'_ It was all she'd typed back, and all he'd needed to feel like he'd been flung into the deepest, blackest reaches of space.

"Screw up what? If anything, I'm the one who should be apologizing," Raven replied, blowing lightly at the steaming beverage in her cup.

She brought it to her lips and took a tentative sip.

He gave her a quizzical look, his thick brows arched in question.

She glanced up at him from her mug. "I…might have prevented you from getting laid last night," she admitted, slightly sheepish.

His eyes widened, a million questions buzzing in his mind. "You _what_?"

Raven brushed a lock of violet hair behind her ear out of force of habit. "There was some girl. Cute, reddish hair, I can't recall her name," Raven started, waving her hand dismissively while avoiding his penetrating stare. "You two were getting…a bit chummy after a few drinks. It didn't seem like a good idea, and Lee suggested I be the one to drive you home."

" _Lee_?" he repeated, still in disbelief.

"That's the takeaway?" Raven raised her brows.

He shook his head in disbelief.

Strawberries and a hint of coconut cream; he remembered the overwhelmingly sweet scent like an intimate detail in the delicate fabric that was his memories. He knew it all too well. "Her name is Erin…," he mouthed.

Raven nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right. You guys were necking in the corner of the bar for most of the night. We could barely pry you off of one another."

He was trying to detect any inflection of emotion from the empath, but she betrayed nothing; her eyes were amethyst ice, and her expression no different than had she been discussing the weather.

"She…that was a mistake," Garfield tried to explain, although he didn't quite understand why; it wasn't like Raven, of all people, would care who he took to bed.

She shrugged. "I figured as much. I never took you for someone interested in casual sex," Raven commented, looking perfectly complacent.

The amount of times sex had been brought up within the last few hours around Raven was enough to make the changeling feel uncomfortable even in his own skin.

"I'm not!" he protested. "I like Erin. She's a nice girl."

An emotion he couldn't place lit up Raven's eyes. "A nice girl, huh?"

He scratched at the back of his head. "I wanted to ask her out, but she said it was a one-time thing…," he trailed off, recalling the conversation that followed the morning after with a heavy heart.

"Anyways, I guess I should be thanking you, then," he stated, trying to derail the conversation from his doomed personal life.

"Thank me with breakfast?" she suggested as half her face vanished behind her mug when she brought it up to her mouth again.

She didn't wait for him to answer. "I happen to know a quaint little café around these parts, if you wanted to shower and get dressed. We can talk about your broken phone over a croissant and some chai tea. This orange pekoe tastes like it expired several decades ago." Her expression soured after she'd taken another hesitant sip.

Beast Boy cursed internally; of course she'd noticed the smashed up screen by now. Quickly, he tried to formulate his defense. "It was an accident, I-I swear! It must have happened during the bank heist-…"

"It's not me you owe an explanation to." She cut him off abruptly. "Madison, on the other hand…"

Garfield felt the blood leave his face. Raven wore a bemused smirk at his reaction.

"Are you like a dementor? Do you actually gain pleasure from the misery of others?" he asked her, point blank.

The mention of the infamous fictional villain seemed to have caught the empath off guard. "You've read the Harry Potter books?"

"Uhm, who hasn't?!" he retorted.

Raven couldn't help but smile; something both genuine and peculiar. The way the morning light filtered through the window, casting the sun's warm rays against her violet hair and pale cheek, somehow made Garfield's heart skip a beat.

"Well, for starters, that isn't quite what a dementor does. They feed on happiness, and sometimes, souls. I don't think they derive any actual pleasure from it; they do it more so out of necessity. Creatures that are described to be so evil, I doubt they're able to feel any sort of pleasure or happiness at all. It's probably why they suck it out of their victims. Like leeches," Raven explained.

"Geez, has anyone ever told you that you're a total nerd?" Garfield teased, but he was grinning toothily.

She shrugged. "I really liked those books."

"I can tell. It's…kind of cute, actually."

A tinge of pink coloured the empath's otherwise pale cheeks, and Garfield immediately regretted his choice of wording.

"I mean, you know, in like a bookworm way," he stammered hurriedly.

Raven put the mug on the counter, and let her arms hang at her sides, her hair obscuring her face as she looked down at the floor. Beast Boy's eyes followed the suddenly exposed skin of her cleavage, and felt heat rise to his face.

How had he forgotten that she was still wearing just her underthings? Very, _very_ nice underthings.

"I, uh – I'll go take that shower now," he mumbled, quickly turning on his heel and leaving the kitchen before she caught him staring.

Maybe what he needed was a _cold_ shower…

* * *

 _Last evening..._

He hadn't touched her in the night.

The whole night, and he wouldn't lay a single finger on her, even if she was practically naked in his bed. Anyone else, and they'd have jumped her bones at any opportunity; but not Beast Boy.

Raven had wanted to feel a sense of relief; that even stupidly piss drunk, Garfield Logan was ever the gentleman. Or maybe, he really was just too intoxicated to move from his side of the mattress.

Either way, the girl found herself staring forlornly at the freckles of his shoulders, feeling…somewhat disappointed, and she couldn't really understand _why_.

Sure, during the drive home, he'd tried snuggling into her shoulder once or twice, but upon realizing the discomfort of having to stretch so far, he'd settled for resting his head against the cold passenger window instead.

"I'm not _that_ drunk, y'know," he'd slur every so often in her direction, as if to remind her more than himself.

Of course, she'd never uttered a word about his condition, but she couldn't help and crack a little knowing smile every now and again at his drunken antics. She'd never been privy to this side of him before, and it was highly amusing seeing the changeling boy so uninhibited.

No matter how much he denied it, Garfield could barely keep his eyes open by the time they'd left the bar. Raven had to practically drag him across the parking lot while Lee dealt with an unconscious Matt. Meanwhile, Sophie had been busy consoling an irritable, horny redhead that had been more than just lip locked with Garfield himself. Lee and Raven had to forcefully pull the drunk couple apart, and it was safe to say that the girl was none too happy about it; she'd swiped angrily at the empath's face with nails as sharp as claws, and nearly gotten her, too. If Raven hadn't been certain that she was drunk beyond her senses, she might have used her abilities to knock her out.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, was more than compliant; he fell into the former Titan's arms like putty; putty that weighed just under two hundred pounds, that is. Raven had briefly wondered when the stringy male had put on so much weight. Although his muscles were leaner and more defined then they had been when they were kids, he'd only grown a few inches taller.

Nonetheless, for all her heaving and grunting, Raven had played the part of ever-dutiful friend; fishing out his keys from his pocket while she rested him up against the car door, carrying him up to his apartment with an arm draped over her shoulders, and even helping him change once she'd gotten him into his bedroom.

He'd giggled and snorted from the bed when she'd started to tug off his jeans. "Dontcha know the rules, Rae Rae? Gotta buy me dinner first, _then_ you can take off my pants." He winked and grinned at her when she rolled her eyes.

She finished pulling his legs out from his pants, and had to resist the urge to laugh at his underwear. His boxer shorts were a navy blue with yellow rubber ducks patterned on them, and somehow, it wasn't the least bit surprising. Raven made a mental note to bring it up to him later when he was sober. Watching Beast Boy quickly become flustered was like a full-time hobby, after all.

Garfield had been sitting up on his bed, but his head was lolling forward as he nodded off. Raven stood up and made to pull his shirt up and over his arms. He flinched awake, and she was met with his intimidating green gaze, suddenly too close for comfort.

Half-lidded and glazed over from intoxication, they were somehow a darker shade of emerald in the dim light coming from his table lamp.

They stared at one another intensely for a moment that felt like it was being dragged on and on. Only the soft ticking of the clock in the background was evidence of time moving forward at all.

Raven was slowly becoming more aware of the warmth of his skin beneath his shirt, her hands having rested on his broad shoulders to help steady her from falling on top of him. He seemed to be searching for something in her, because the way his eyes darted about her face, paired with his curiously parted lips, made her skin prickle with gooseflesh.

Slowly, he brought his fingers to her cheek, where they tentatively stroked a path down to her jaw, eliciting an involuntary shiver from the empath. "I missed you…," he whispered, his voice low and coarse. She didn't need to draw on her empathic abilities to discern the level of emotion laced within his tone.

Flustered and somehow captivated, Raven squeezed her eyes shut, and forced herself to finish pulling off his shirt, effectively distracting them both from the seriousness of his claim.

Somehow, Garfield had found this amusing, and he chuckled, his mop of green hair askew from the static of his clothes. Raven sighed in mild annoyance, denying the fact that her heart was still racing. "Get some sleep. Don't lie on your back. The wastebasket is by the lamp next to you. In case you need to throw up," she instructed, her voice trembling only slightly.

He was still smiling affectionately at her, and it was beginning to unnerve her. "I'll see myself out. I'm just going to call a cab first."

She turned to make for her purse, where she'd left her cellphone, only to be stopped initially by his voice; "Wait."

Then, Beast Boy grabbed her by the arm, tethering her there; forcing her to turn back around and acknowledge him.

"Don't go."

The sincerity, the raw clarity in his tone, mirrored by his lonesome, pained expression; it left her staggered. Raven would have lingered in his room regardless, if only due to his plea alone.

He held on tight at first, the thick pads of his fingers pressing into her flesh, like letting go would be his death. As his expression softened, so did his grip. Instead, his fingers traced a delicate path to her own, tingling as they danced along the inside of her wrist.

Time felt like it was at a slow crawl once more, and Raven held her breath.

"You're the one that came back to me after all this time…I'm so grateful that you did…," he continued almost nonsensically, the alcohol no doubt interfering with what he wanted to truly convey. Raven tried to understand, but she was seemingly transfixed with the way his fingers felt against her palm.

Blue moonlight filtered in through his large windows, casting long, dark shadows on his bed when the clouds would roll past. Sometimes, they turned his skin a different color where the light from the lamp couldn't reach.

Then, he gradually lifted her fingers to the side of his face, her knuckles brushing against his cheekbone. Garfield's eyes closed, and he hummed contently. "Stay," he told her, but it was more of a request than a demand.

So, she did.

She stayed…

* * *

 **A/N:** _A short update, but an update nonetheless. Apologies for how long this took. I was in the middle of writing it in April (and rewrote it like seven times because I kept changing things), but BBRae week happened, and I started school in May, so I got distracted from this project easily. I assure you all; I'm not abandoning it. Once school is over, I'm hoping to get back into updating more regularly. Thank you for your patience! As usual, feedback is welcomed. Thanks for reading!_


	8. 7 - Protozoan

**A/N:** _Once again, the support for this story has been staggering. Thank you for such delightful feedback._

 **Grizzly Bears**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Protozoan**

* * *

She was _staring_ at him.

Not like she normally did – a passive observation; a quick study – no. This time, her gaze was pointed, her expression stoic and unreadable. He blinked at her, but Raven remained unflinching. She knew that he _knew_.

Once upon a time, he'd have been used to her glares; more often than not, he'd even earned them. But there was nothing chilling about her amethyst stare this time around. There was no narrowed, carefully concealed rage. Instead, she watched him like an artist studied their subject matter; intensely and without abandon. Garfield didn't know why, but he was starting to grow nervous. His face felt flushed, the tips of his ears tingled, and his heart raced.

"So, uh, good tea?" he coughed, clearing his throat, and averting his gaze from the heat of her penetrating stare.

No response came and when his eyes flitted ever briefly in her direction, she stated quite simply; "I don't do clubs."

"Come again?"

She sighed wearily, finally breaking eye contact with him. She squeezed her eyes shut as if she were experiencing a most awful, bounding headache from behind them. "I hate them. They smell. It's crowded. Everyone's horny all the time. Also drunk out of their minds. I've gotten alcohol, puke, and other questionable fluids on some of my favourite clothes and shoes."

"Rae – I'm not sure I know where you're going with this…," Garfield interjected.

She stared at him expectedly, her bottom lip jutting out in mild irritation. "Do you like them?"

He paused, contemplative and careful. Somehow, he felt like he was under a microscope. "I guess they have their appeal. It's not my first choice; a bit too old for that crowd these days, but if a friend gave me an invite, I'd go." He shrugged, indifferent.

As he spoke, he could see Raven's scowl grow deeper and more terrifying. Her arms were folded over her chest in disgruntlement. "So, you'd go and enjoy yourself?"

He scratched at the nape of his neck, his skin itchy from the budding tension between him and the empath. "I'd make the best of it, I suppose. Why?"

"Fine then," Raven slammed her palms against their table, shaking its flimsy structure easily enough and making him jump in his chair; "consider this an invite from a friend. If I have to go, then _you're_ coming with me."

Garfield's eyes widened. "Woah, woah, _woah_! Where is this even coming from?"

She sighed, sinking into her seat like she was ready to disappear through a portal she'd opened at her feet. "What's it matter? I'm being dragged out to one of these lame events and since you just said that you'd make the best of it if a friend invited you, well, then this is me inviting you," Raven replied.

The changeling gulped. "Uh, yeah, I got that. But Rae, you realize if you don't want to go, you can just decline, right? I'm sure whoever invited you would understand."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you honestly think I didn't already try that? There's no way out of this one. So, are you coming or not?"

Garfield grimaced involuntarily, wishing he had more time to contemplate his answer but knowing that he didn't. "I – I guess I could go. When is the event?"

"Tonight," she replied with a sense of finality.

"Okay, that's a bit short notice," he blurted out.

Raven raised a single, arched brow. "Did you have prior commitments?"

"Well, no. I was just going to bum around at home, maybe play some video games. I have work in the morning."

"Perfect," Raven smirked, "that can be our excuse to leave early."

Suddenly, the slice of key lime pie that Garfield had ordered seemed to have lost its delicious, tangy appeal. He looked down at his plate, the dessert only half eaten. At least he'd managed to enjoy what few nibbles he did have.

"Oh, and dress accordingly," Raven noted as an afterthought, "it's a lingerie-themed party, meant to help raise money for reproductive related cancers."

"A _what_ now?!" Garfield nearly sent his fork flying halfway across the patio.

"Don't be dramatic. You never took up any issue walking around the Tower in the nude if I do recall correctly. Not to mention your uncanny habit of skinny dipping whenever we hit the pool or the beach. Just wear a pair of boxers and you'll be fine."

"Rae, this is hardly the same thing! Is this a prank? Are you setting me up?"

She was looking at him like he'd just asked her if the sky was blue. "Really? I just finished explaining that you've been perfectly comfortable being naked in public before and you think I'm going to embarrass you by making you show up in boxers?"

She didn't wait for a response; instead, she grabbed her phone off the table with an irritated scoff, and started tapping on its screen with her perfectly filed nails. He watched her curiously, speechless.

Finding what she had been looking for, she then swivelled the phone in his direction so that he could see what she'd been digging up. Beast Boy hunched over to get a better look, the piercing sunlight of the early afternoon making it difficult to see what it was she was showing him on the screen.

As he squinted, he came to comprehend what he was examining. "Is that the advertisement for the event?"

Raven nodded once. "Now do you believe me?"

He hesitated, taking his time eyeing the colourful ad displaying a pair of panties and briefs, as well as the charity the event would be affiliated with. Time and place were also noted. There was no way Raven would go so far for a prank. Besides, he was personally aware that her computer editing skills were…not spectacular.

When Garfield lifted his gaze back to her, he raised a brow suggestively. "So…what are _you_ going to be wearing?"

"Nothing crazy, so get your head out of the gutter."

Her response only made him grin. "Any cute friends tagging along?"

Raven narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing, her vexing silence evidently answer enough.

Garfield chuckled to himself at her icy demeanour but raised his hands in surrender. "I'm just teasing. I promise to be on my best behaviour."

"Thank you." Raven then leaned over and forked a piece of his pie into her mouth. "I have to get back to work, but you feel free to stick around."

She stood up and cleared their table of her dishes before disappearing inside the little café, and leaving Beast Boy to mull over what had just transpired between them.

* * *

The truth of the matter was that Beast Boy had outgrown the club lifestyle. After the Titans had officially disbanded, and the Justice League made it apparent that they did not want him, he had catapulted himself into the party scene. There, he'd immersed himself in alcohol, girls, music, and the social scene where everyone knew him but he didn't know them. Needless to say, he grew bored of it after a few years, and discovered that he'd hated the person he'd become. Garfield had not lied to Raven, however; he would still occasionally go if asked by friends, but he'd no longer strive to be the centre of attention, or drink himself into oblivion, or go home with strange women. He sighed as he drove up to the club; was this what it meant to finally grow up? If so, he decided he wasn't really a fan.

Once he was parked, he undid his jeans in his seat and tugged them off his legs. Raven said to meet her at the entrance of Room 52; the name of the designated location for the event. He'd initially been a bit embarrassed knowing that he'd have to walk around downtown Jump City in a pair of colourful boxer shorts, but he'd driven past the line-up outside and was quick to learn that he certainly wouldn't be the only one. There was comfort in crowds sometimes.

Even still, he opted to keep his white tank on. There was a bit of a nip in the air, and he was pretty sure he could get in trouble for public indecency if he wasn't careful. Garfield took in a deep breath, chanced one last nervous look in his overhead mirror at his appearance, and climbed out of his car. He ran his fingers through his hair, mussing it up and teasing the thick layers. He then glanced down at his midnight-blue boxers, patterned with golden-star constellations like the big dipper, and tugged at the material so that they rode low on his slim hips. He'd sooner have more of his upper body revealed than risk his Johnson making any unwelcomed appearances.

Beast Boy locked his car door behind him and made sure that he had his keys, wallet, phone, and ID handy. Eventually, he found a throng of semi-naked, young adults walking towards the club, and snuck in around them, trying to blend in so that he didn't garner any more strange looks than usual. Being green of course made him stand out, anyways.

Fortunately, finding Raven was a lot easier than he'd anticipated. Unlike the bustling crew of people lounging outside, she was on the opposite side of the lineup, leaning against the brick exterior of the building, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone.

Beast Boy didn't realize he'd staggered in his footsteps until others pushed past him on the sidewalk.

He hardly noticed the insults and glares aimed at him; it was his turn to stare at _her_.

Like him, Raven had played loosely with the theme of the dress code for the event. She donned a pair of high-waisted, black denim booty shorts that buttoned up in the front, matched with a black, lacy top that tied around her neck and disappeared into the waistband of her bottoms. It was stretched taunt against every curve of her torso, leading Garfield to believe that it was most likely a body suit. Her jewelry was simple; a black choker, and a bunch of unique rings in various shapes and sizes on her fingers.

She saw him then, as if she could somehow feel him staring at her. Raven put her phone away, tucking her short hair behind her ear before standing up to her full height. Garfield's hands instinctively moved to cover his crotch, self-conscious of his attire now that he knew he was about to be at the mercy of the empath's unnerving scrutiny.

Raven didn't say anything as she approached him. Instead, she extended out her hand, palm up, and motioned with her fingers.

When Garfield answered her with a genuinely perplexed expression, Raven sighed and said, "I can put your things in my purse."

She motioned to his keys. Naturally, most boxers didn't have pockets, and Garfield had barely thought about where he'd put them while in the club.

"Right!" he exclaimed sheepishly, handing over all the important items he was carrying except for his ID. "Thanks."

Raven stuffed it into the small, grey canvas bag slung over her shoulder. She then turned and appraised him, her gaze sending chills down his spine as they raked a path from the top of his head down to the soles of his shoes.

"Didn't want to lose the shirt, huh?" Her tone was playful, and her features had softened.

"It's chilly!" he retorted, hugging his bare arms. "Besides, I don't exactly see _you_ in bra and panties."

Raven shrugged. "I'm a girl. They'd probably let me in if I wore a garbage bag."

He scowled; she was right after all, but he refused to admit to that. "You think they'll make me take it off?" Garfield picked at his tank-top self consciously.

Raven ignored him and had turned on her heel towards the entrance. He quickly followed her, trying to ignore the looks they both received as they made their way to the back of the line.

"Oh, my goodness, you managed to rope _Gar_ into this?!"

Beast Boy's eyes widened before he broke out into a big, toothy grin. "Cassie?" he practically wheezed when he caught sight of the buxom blonde hanging out by the end of the line. "Raven didn't mention that _you'd_ be here!"

He enveloped the younger woman in a tight, long hug, taking in the sweet fragrance of strawberries in her hair. Cassie smiled into his shoulder, holding on for a few more seconds. "Didn't want to ruin the surprise, I guess," she mused.

Garfield glanced at her attire when they parted; a red trench coat that reached just above her knees. Unlike Raven, Cassandra had opted to don a pair of six-inch heels to match her ensemble. "That's not quite dress code," Garfield commented slyly.

"Like hell I was going to stroll around downtown in a pair of undies." She rolled her eyes, but not without a spark of amusement in them. She then grinned impishly at Beast Boy's appearance. "Feeling a little chilly there, Gar?"

His hands once again moved to block his crotch from view. His face felt warm and flushed despite the cool breeze of the summer evening. "Yeah, yeah. _Very_ funny. Make fun of the guy in his underwear."

Cassie snickered behind her hand.

"Could be worse," Raven said. "You could be _that_ guy." The empath motioned with her head in the direction of a very naked male donning a tiny, rainbow-coloured speedo only a couple of feet in front of them.

"I don't know; I think he's got a pretty cute butt," Cassie teased, nudging Raven playfully.

A girl sporting a matching set of Victoria's Secret underthings walked past them, and Garfield felt his eyes tug towards her stark, tanned nudity. "Oh, man…," he sighed as she strutted down the sidewalk towards the entrance.

Both Cassie and Raven scoffed and pulled a face. "Same old Gar, I guess," Wonder Girl remarked dryly.

"Not everything changes," Raven replied.

"Tell me she's one of your friends, Rae," Garfield gulped, watching her disappear inside the club, easily bypassing everyone outside shamelessly ogling her.

"She's one of the other bartenders I work with. Can't say we're friends, though."

Garfield's head snapped back to attention, forgetting entirely about the bombshell blonde he'd been shamelessly checking out. His gaze bored into the demoness who, for some reason, was pretending she didn't notice. "Excuse me? _You bartend_?!"

Raven shrugged, indifferent. "The tips are good, I needed the money, and I absolutely hate it with a passion, but it pays well."

Cassie didn't appear to be as stunned by this information as Garfield was. "Girl's got to make ends meet somehow, right? Especially when you aren't in the hero biz anymore."

Beast Boy's jaw was still hanging open in disbelief. "B-but…bartending? _Raven_?!" He clutched at his hair like a mad scientist. "The book store café thing I get, but a _club_? This is literally the last place you'd ever want to be."

"It's like finding Vic at a vegan picnic! Or Richard at a Cher concert!"

Cassie raised an index finger. "I'll have you know that you'd _definitely_ find Dick at a Cher concert. Kory says he's got all her CDs."

Beast Boy and Raven ignored her.

Instead, the former Titans stared at one another, unblinking. Raven then quirked up an eyebrow, somehow appearing intrigued by Garfield's analysis of her. "You're not wrong," she started, "but typically, I am getting _paid_ to be here. Try and remember that."

The music from inside the club grew louder the closer they were to the entrance, thumping from the speakers with such energy that the ground felt like it was shaking beneath their feet. The base alone might have sent bricks flying from the structure itself.

"Still…I'd never have guessed. Rae, are – are you okay?" Beast Boy had grabbed her by the shoulders in his concern, pulling her forward to face him and catching her off guard. "Is there something going on? If it's money related, I'm sure we can work something out-…"

He couldn't help but remember Madison's words of foreboding, or even Richard's vague warning. He searched Raven's face for any hint she could give – the smallest chip in her carefully placed façade. All he found was a tinge of anger in the way her darkly painted lips moved.

She broke free from his grip and stepped back. When she spoke, her eyes were narrowed slits. "I don't need you mothering me, Gar. I'm fine. I've _been_ fine by myself for all these years. Don't go thinking you're here to play hero and to sweep me off my feet."

There was a familiar venom to her tone, as if she'd rehearsed these lines before, and he was beginning to think that maybe she had.

Cassie appeared distraught, standing between them like she was ready to break them apart if she had to. Raven's expression darkened, and she scowled, folding her arms over her chest and glancing off to the side. "I'll go see about getting us in sooner," she muttered under her breath. She then shoved past a few people in front of her and disappeared into the throng without a look back.

Garfield heard Cassandra sigh next to him. "Way to go, Gar. Have you ever been told that your timing is horrible?" She rubbed at her temples with thumb and forefinger, her eyes closing.

The changeling immediately felt _awful,_ guilt sweeping over him and leaving him feeling like a husk of his former self. "I – I was just trying to help…"

"You _are_ helping, just by being here," Cassie reassured him, not without kindness. "Raven needs her friends, not an intervention." Her hand was on his shoulder, her expression sympathetic.

Cassandra Sandsmark was Wonder Woman's newer protégé – Wonder Girl; the mantle she'd picked up from Donna Troy. She'd been younger than the Teen Titans when she was initially recruited. As such, she'd joined a team called Young Justice, and the Titans were known to run a few collaborative missions alongside the up-and-coming youngsters. They'd all taken an immediate liking to one another due to their similarities in youth and, in turn, their struggles. However, Raven and Cassandra had surprisingly become fast friends, and it was clear that they'd kept in touch throughout the years.

"Do you know what's going on? Has she told you?" Garfield asked her, knowing how desperate he sounded.

Cassie shook her head. "It's not like it isn't obvious; money's tight. When you don't have powerful companies like Wayne Enterprises backing you up for saving the world all the time, or parents who love you, I imagine life gets tough. Not all of us were blessed with fortunes, Gar."

He chose to overlook the sharp sting from her last remark. "Yeah, I know, but she _hates_ clubs, Cassie. She dragged me out to this thing because she didn't want to go it alone."

Wonder Girl waved away his concerns. "Or, maybe, she just really wanted your company? Maybe Raven wants to dance with you," Cassandra teased with a contagious smile, trying to lighten the grim mood that had settled amongst them.

He laughed sarcastically at that suggestion. " _As if_. Raven's got two left feet the last I checked. Nothing can get that girl to move, not even my incredible salsa skills."

He waggled his eyebrows confidently.

"If you guys are done talking about me, we can go in now." Raven appeared before them suddenly, nearly sending Garfield and Cassandra jumping out of their skins. She was like an apparition – there one moment and gone the next – seemingly vanished into the crowd.

Wonder Girl and Beast Boy exchanged nervous glances before making their way to the front of the line.

* * *

The club was pulsating with life a quarter past midnight. Garfield couldn't move without touching someone's sweaty, slick skin. Everyone was so utterly close to being naked, and the atmosphere, despite the air condition, was like one giant, sweaty armpit. Cassie had checked her coat once inside to reveal a rather saucy, red, lacy number. It wasn't quite lingerie, but it was sheer enough in some places to count as a tight, nighttime-fun dress. They'd all met up with a few more of Raven's friends (some Garfield recognized from her work), before a group of them hit the dancefloor and dispersed into the mass of sweaty, writhing bodies.

Raven hung back by the bar, sipping on a cold, alcohol-free beverage. Beast Boy wanted to go join the dancing, but didn't feel entirely good about leaving the empath all by her lonesome. She appeared just as uncomfortable as she probably felt, and it made him wonder how she handled working in such a place every weekend.

For the most part, Raven ignored him, too busy trying to look natural when all she wanted was to flee.

Taking in a deep breath, he sidled up next to her, close enough for their shoulders to brush, and leaned down to speak in her ear. "I'm sorry if I was a jackass earlier."

The music was loud, and he could barely hear his own voice even though he was certain that he was yelling. Raven nodded her head curtly in answer, but didn't bother to look up at him.

"Buy you a drink?"

He noticed that she was almost finished with the soda water in her glass.

"You just want an excuse to talk to the cute bartender," she commented dryly.

He gave her a cocky smirk. "Two birds, one stone, right?"

"She's dating one of the bouncers. No, not the scrawny kid. The one with the arms thicker than your entire waist after you polish off a mega-sized bag of crunchy Cheetos." Raven indicated the meaty, bald male standing guard by the club doors. He was hard to miss considering his impressive girth, easily towering over everyone around him by a foot.

Garfield paled at the sight of the man Raven was alluding to. Not only was he three times his size, but he was also a good five inches taller. Not that height had ever worked in Beast Boy's favor before, but he was pretty sure that he'd be at eye-level with his sternum at best.

"I've taken out bigger dudes, I'll have you know," he boasted half-heartedly.

"Oh, I know," Raven agreed. "I wasn't saying that you couldn't take him. I was just trying to be subtle about the fact that Jasmyne has a _type_."

"Ouch, Rae." Garfield feigned insult. "Not _every_ girl likes a beefcake." He flexed his lean arm muscle in a display of bravado.

As predicted, she rolled her eyes, but a small smile was tugging at the corners of her lips. "Beefcakes are overrated."

"Good, because I'm a vegetarian." He winked at her, and Raven shook her head at the pun.

He was still going to count it as a victory; slowly, he was winning her over after his last blunder, and he didn't even have to resort to using _the face_.

The music then changed into something slower, sexier. With it, the mood did, too. People grouped off into couples, their movements matching the steady beat. Raven grimaced. "It's basically sex with clothes on," she sneered, her eyes lingering on their gyrating hips and feverish grinding.

"Yeah, where's the fun in that?" Garfield grinned, ready for the quick snap of one of her sharp looks.

"You sure are _something_ , Beast Boy," Raven chided him instead, leaning up to speak directly into his ear, her warm breath tickling his neck.

He didn't know what had possessed him in the following moment. Maybe it was the song. Maybe it was the buzzing tension between them. Maybe he was just intoxicated with the thrilling emotion of being in her good graces again. Either way, for some unfathomable reason, Garfield acted before he thought. One second they were at the bar, lounging, and the next he was dragging her towards the centre of the dancefloor, holding onto her slender wrist while he pushed past the crowds of people.

He found Cassie easily enough, what with her striking appearance, height, and mesmerizing dancing. Madison, and a few of Raven's co-workers were also in the vicinity, most of them paired up with someone else to dance with. Raven hadn't given much resistance once she'd gleaned Garfield's intentions, and he had no idea what to make of that. When he'd let go, she stood there at the edge of their little circle, feeling awkward and out of place. Almost immediately, hands wound around her small waist, and she was pulled back into the arms of a man in only a loincloth. Garfield saw her eyes go wide in shock, but her new partner was already moving his hips behind hers.

Beast Boy had wanted to help the guy out, because it did look like Raven was ten seconds away from unleashing all the furies of hell on him, but Madison was already dancing around him. She'd tugged at his hand playfully and then pulled into him so that her lips were inches from his ear. "You owe me a dance for what you did to your phone," she giggled, swaying in her massive heels.

Beast Boy smiled. "You sure you can keep up?" He coiled his fingers in hers, and took her for a twirl before dipping her down low and making her gasp.

Madison giggled when he lifted her back up. The music changed again as the DJ remixed the beats. The song was now a fun, sexy, Spanish tune, and Garfield adjusted his moves accordingly. He danced between all the ladies around him, singing along to the familiar lyrics as he went. Somehow, he felt a lot more confident and less self-conscious, as if he'd temporarily forgotten he wasn't wearing much in ways of clothes. When he'd pulled Cassie in for a turn, she'd giggled and exclaimed; "Since when do you know Spanish?!"

He replied by passionately singing the next line at her, making her throw her head back and laugh. By the time he'd gotten to Raven, she'd somehow managed to escape the handsy Tarzan, and appeared standoffish in posture. Her arms were folded over her chest protectively, and she was wearing her signature scowl while her eyes darted maddeningly about, wary of everyone around her. Garfield danced behind her, making sure to brush against her back. Her head snapped to one side, and then the other as she tried to catch a glimpse of the intruder, but he'd already grabbed her hands and pulled her in towards him. She stumbled against him, her hands landing on his chest.

When she looked up at Garfield, mesmerized by the way the strange strobe lights played with the green hues of his eyes in the dark, he serenaded her too, as if he were emulating the vocalist's lovelorn emotions. Before she could react, he twirled her about and then wrapped his arms around her midsection when he pulled her back to him, swaying their hips to the beat. Somewhere behind him, he was sure Cassie was whooping, as were a few other spectators. The other ladies joined the fray, all the while Raven remained stiff as a board in his arms.

He chuckled to himself and shook his head.

Two left feet.

Still, she hadn't banished him to another dimension yet, which must have meant he'd made progress in their relationship.

Garfield turned her around to face him, one hand on her waist, the other holding her hand and lacing his fingers with hers. His feet moved about expertly while she struggled to keep up. Nonetheless, Garfield moved her to the beat of the song, always mindful of the small space between their bodies. He didn't want to know what she'd done to Tarzan, nor did he wish to suffer a similar fate.

"I don't dance," she seethed through gritted teeth, her eyes narrowed at him.

"I can tell," he chuckled. "Practice makes perfect, Rae."

The music then faded into a love ballad, with the DJ proclaiming that this one was for all the couples. Garfield's smile fell, as did his hands. Raven fixed him with a quizzical look. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "N-nothing!"

Raven, still somewhat flushed and growing impatient with his stammering, sighed, and said, "I need a drink."

"Wait!" he called after her, not entirely sure why.

Garfield was a sweaty mess; the humidity of the club was persistent, and all his earlier exertion had no doubt contributed to his current state. His breathing was still labored and heavy, strands of his unruly hair matting to his face. She turned her head to study him, trying to read his thoughts.

He took in a deep breath.

"Dance with me."

He extended his hand out to her, waiting. Couples around them cradled each other, holding on to one another like the world was about to end. Others were kissing feverishly, hands wandering. Raven appeared to hesitate, taking in her surroundings with a pained grimace. It was as if standing amongst them was slowly killing her, stealing the air from her lungs. She glanced at his hand like it was a safety line – the only thing able to keep her afloat in the crushing waves of lust and hormones.

Garfield held his breath for what felt like an eternity, but then her fingertips grazed his palm. She walked into him slowly, her arms coming up around his neck, tentative. Before he could bother catching a glance at her expression, she'd already rested her chin into the nook of his shoulder. "Slow dancing. I can do that. It's just moving in the same spot, right?" she spoke softly next to his ear, her tone losing its previous edge. Unlike before, he could hear her perfectly clear.

The changeling brought his hands to the safe edges of her small waist, feeling the heat radiating off her body where he touched her. The lacy top she wore did little to obscure her lithe shape and contours. He was almost painfully conscious of every part of her beneath his fingertips.

"That's the gist, yeah," he replied, ignoring the way her hair smelled.

They moved their feet, slowly, and not enough. Everything seemed to wind down except for their heartbeats. The quiet between them made it feel like a bubble had separated the pair from the rest of the world.

Just friends. They were _just friends_.

"Thanks for coming out tonight, by the way." Her arms wrapped around him just a little bit tighter – an iota of strength only he would be privy to.

"Of course. Thanks for inviting me. It was nice getting to see Cassie again," he told her, but the words were hard to get out when he was so distracted.

She smelled like _home_.

Like family.

Like the fondest of memories; the ones he cherished most growing up.

His hands unconsciously moved to the small of her back, pulling her in just a little bit closer, not caring for the social implications of his intimate action in the moment. He clung to her like she was all that was left of a world he'd long since left behind.

For now, she was a reminder of everything he'd had once upon a time.

Everything he'd lost when the team disbanded.

Garfield had thought that he'd grown out of the pain – that the wound was now a healed scab. He found that it was as fresh as the day it had been made.

"Do you ever miss it?" he asked her then, as if he'd almost expected her to have listened in to his most secretive thoughts.

"Miss what? Oxygen not tainted with body odour?"

"What? No." He shook his head. "Being a Titan – being a _hero_."

"Oh. Right." Raven paused. "In some ways, maybe."

She glanced off to the side, her cheek brushing against his shoulder. "I miss…certain things about it." Her fingers grasped just a little bit tighter against the fabric of his shirt.

"I think about it all the time," he confessed, his voice wistful. "Sometimes I wake up thinking I'm back in my room at the Tower. I imagine smelling the sickening scent of Vic frying up bacon and eggs, or hearing Kory flying past my door."

He looked back down at her, the smile lighting up his eyes in ways not even the darkest shadows could catch. "I think about going up to the roof to find you meditating."

"Except then I remember that none of it is real. All of it is gone. The Tower's been in disrepair for years now, and there's no one there…" His smile faded as quickly as it had come.

A haunting sadness overcame Beast Boy, and Raven thought it aged him considerably. Just how much weight was he carrying on his shoulders? How heavy was the burden he never let anyone ever see?

"I'm sorry," he laughed it off. As usual, humor was his paper-thin mask, but Raven saw through it like glass. "I don't mean to get all sentimental," he continued.

The song ended, switching back over to something more upbeat. The crowd around them went back to partying like it was the last night on Earth. Garfield pulled away from Raven, his hands sliding down her hips to fall at his sides.

When Raven spoke, her voice was commanding; "Let's go."

He blinked at the empath, confused. "Uhm, now? Isn't it still early?" Garfield checked his watch.

Raven shook her head. "I mean, let's leave. Let's go visit the Tower."

Something a lot like determination steeled her features.

"What? Why? Rae, I wasn't – I didn't mean anything by it. I was just reminiscing."

"I've got the sudden urge to meditate on a rooftop."

He opened and closed his mouth in protest, but no coherent sounds left his throat.

She didn't waste another moment; Raven grabbed him by the hand and turned to address Cassandra, Madison, and her other friends, "We're heading home. Gar's got work in the morning and he's my ride."

She tugged him along before he could even finish waving at the group, or they could all properly say goodbye. The girls all stared after them before exchanging looks of bewilderment. Cassie had mouthed something after him, but Garfield couldn't quite make it out over the loud music.

* * *

"You know, this wasn't necessary," Beast Boy reminded her while Raven swerved down the empty roads of the city.

"Me and my big mouth," he grumbled under his breath when she continued to ignore him. He slunk into his chair like a petulant child.

They were a few feet away from the edge of the city, from the lakeshore, when Raven decided to park his car on the side of the road. She grabbed his jeans from the back seat and threw them onto his lap. "Hold onto those. We're flying over."

Beast Boy scrambled in his seat, eyes wide in disbelief. "Wait, we're _what_?!" But Raven was already getting out of the car, his keys jingling in her hand.

He watched her walk to the edge of the sidewalk, the cool, dark waters crashing against the rocks in a gentle lullaby. Garfield got out of his car, his pants in his arms as he admired her silhouette against the backdrop of the city's nightlife. There was something achingly familiar about the scene, with the giant T-shaped Tower just off in the distance, standing tall between the stars, and looming over the water. He had to squint to even see it; all the lights had gone out long ago. There was suddenly a lump in his throat, and he wasn't too sure that he could do this.

Raven turned to acknowledge him, the salty, sea breeze picking up strands of her violet hair and whipping them against her pale face.

"Are you coming?" she called out to him.

Garfield swallowed, and took a few steps towards her. Raven's eyes closed momentarily, and when they opened again, they flashed with the white light of her powers. Her lips moved as she spoke her mantra, and she slowly lifted off the ground.

"I don't have my uniform," he admitted, staring up at her in awe as she rose higher and higher.

"So? Just strip and take your clothes with you."

He glanced down at his underwear and then back at the empath, uncomfortable. "…Do you mind?"

Raven scoffed and rolled her eyes, but turned her back in obligation. Beast Boy dashed back to the car and proceeded to shimmy out of his clothes before anyone could see. Once fully naked, he morphed into a giant, green pterodactyl and let out a small screech. As he spread his wings, he clawed at the clothes he'd left on the ground and lifted into the sky, flapping until he'd gained enough momentum.

By the time he was in the air, Raven was already flying over the wide stretch of water. Beast Boy quickly followed behind her, growing familiar with the creature he'd transformed into like it was a second skin. He glided across the lake, feeling liberated, the tips of his wings skimming the surface just barely. The Tower drew closer, its evident disrepair becoming more prominent in his line of sight. Once again, his heart sunk, and he didn't know if he was going to be able to keep it together much longer.

Windows were broken, bits of brick and mortar were falling apart, the underbrush had grown so thick and unkempt that it choked the base of the Tower. Vines had begun to crawl up its length, the Earth reclaiming what once belonged to it.

Once upon a time, it had been a _home_.

Now, it was but a shell of its former glory. It hurt Beast Boy to see it like this, and tears stung the backs of his eyes. His vision blurred, and he blamed the wind whipping at his face as he glided along.

Once at the Tower, Raven flew up and up, all the way to the very top, only stopping to land gracefully onto the infamous rooftop she'd once spent so much of her time. Garfield tumbled after her, his bulky body struggling to make a clean landing. He cocked his head to the side and squawked at her when she wouldn't look away.

"Like I haven't seen it all before," she'd muttered with a roll of her eyes, turning around to give him his privacy regardless.

Beast Boy morphed back into his human form and quickly put on his underwear and pants, only stumbling once. "Next time you plan on having me transform or something, maybe give a guy some warning. I could have packed a spare suit!"

Raven didn't seem to be paying any attention to his whining; she was transfixed by the view overlooking the water. "I haven't been up here since…," the empath trailed off, staring over the edge of the building and at the low-hanging moon in the distance.

The water rippled beneath its light, gently rocking to its tide.

"Since we left?" Garfield finished for her, coming to stand beside her.

She nodded once, licking her lips to taste the salt in the air. "I still remember it. You were standing over there. Dick had gone to help Kory finish packing. Vic was shutting down the systems."

"Yeah, I was getting ready to leave, and we hadn't said goodbye yet," he confirmed, taking care not to betray any emotion.

Raven shivered involuntarily, goosebumps rising along her bare arms even as she hugged them. The former Titan then closed her eyes, serene. "I didn't say goodbye to _anyone_ that day, Gar." A shake of her head. "I think I was still in shock."

"You looked pretty calm to me."

She sighed. "I had to be. Kory was a mess. So was Victor." Raven turned to face him, her gaze sympathetic in the dim moonlight. "Even you. _Especially_ you."

Garfield turned to look out at the water, and where Jump City floated in the distance, it's lights illuminating the many buildings and the night sky. A fresh breeze picked up, cool and swift, carrying with it the scent of sealife.

"You know me; wearing my heart on my sleeve. I wasn't as good at it as you or Dick were." His hands dug into the pockets of his jeans. "You have to understand; I didn't have anywhere else to go. I was so scared, so worried I wouldn't last a day trying to make it on my own, even if I did have a plan."

"But you did," she reassured him. "You did fine, Gar. We all did. Eventually, we had to grow up."

"I know. I guess I just wasn't ready yet."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "None of us were."

Garfield ran a shaky hand through his hair. "After everything with Terra…the last thing I needed was to be alone, Rae. I couldn't stop training. I didn't stop pushing my body to all its limits. I vowed never to be that weak again. It didn't matter, though. Not any of the hard work I put in. They still rejected me. Said I was a _liability_."

He sneered, callous anger contorting his features. "I think the word they were looking for was _weak_ – they meant that I was weak. Too weak to save Terra, too weak to join the League, too weak to be a hero." His hands turned into fists, his nails digging into his palms.

Raven then let out an uncharacteristic chortle of amusement, temporarily distracting him from his pent-up frustrations with the League. "Ironic," she started, her smile cold and calculating, "They reject you because they think you're not strong enough, and spy on me because they're afraid that I'll decide to destroy the world one day."

"Neither of those things are true, by the way. In case you're wondering," she clarified, practically reading his mind.

He remained unamused, his expression solemn as he studied her beneath the pale light of the moon.

"Why'd you bring me up here, Raven? And don't give me a vague, cryptic answer, either. I mean it." His eyes were hard when he addressed her, his mouth a tight line.

Raven tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear, unable to hold his gaze. "You mean you didn't find the club stuffy and smelly after an hour?"

"Raven – "

She cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Yes, I know. No humor either."

The empath then let out a deep breath, exasperated. "I don't know, okay? I just wanted to get away from the city and the crowds, and you mentioned the rooftop. I used to come up here to help clear my head as a kid. It somehow seemed appropriate."

He remained relentless. "That's fine, but you didn't answer my question."

She stared at him dead in the eyes, and without flinching, she said; "I already told you; I like spending time with you."

"Is that it?"

"What more do you want me to say?"

"I want you to be honest with me, like you never were when we were younger. I need you to _trust_ me, Rae."

"I'm working on it! Can't you see that I'm trying?!"

Garfield stilled after her outburst, knowing he'd finally struck a cord with the empath. "I do. I _do_ notice. Rae, I need you to know this – my opinion of you, my respect, my friendship – none of that goes away, no matter what. It's not conditional. It's never been conditional, no matter what you might think."

There was a brief break in her mask; her bottom lip quivered, ever so slightly. A moment of weakness, and then it was gone, like a slip of the tongue. The coldness seeped back into her features as easily as frost chilled the ground. "It's getting late."

Before Garfield could even think to give chase, Raven had already dropped over the edge of the building. She quickly became a dot in the distance of the night sky, blending in with all the twinkling stars and the darkness that surrounded them – much like the time she'd left behind a green-skinned boy in that very spot ten years ago, not a word uttered, and not a single glance back at what she'd forgotten…

* * *

 **A/N:** _This is what happens when I listen to sad music while writing. This chapter took on a mind of its own and I have no idea how or why. If I told you what I'd actually planned, you'd all be shocked. Anyways, it got long, but I hope it was worth it. I was feeling motivated to write this, and I'm pretty happy with the interactions between Beast Boy and Raven. I hope you guys liked it, too. Feel free to tell me what you think in some feedback! As usual, thank you for reading (and being patient with me). You guys are amazing._


	9. 8 - Mycoplasma Genitalium

**A/N:** _One of these days I'll get better at updating quicker and replying to reviews. Thanks to everyone who leaves a kind comment. It motivates me. I'm sorry I'm such a butt, but everything you say I take to heart. :)_

 **Grizzly Bears**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **Mycoplasma Genitalium**

* * *

"What is so important that you keep checking your phone?"

Beast Boy flinched at the sharpness in Sophie's tone when she reprimanded him from across the table. He glanced up to find her eyes narrowed at him, her bottom lip jutting out like it typically did when she'd grow frustrated with any of the boys. He mustered up an apologetic smile while placing his cellphone back down onto the table in front of him.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," he stammered.

She raised a single, flaxen brow, her arms still folded over her chest. Initially, he figured the room had an unusual nip in the air thanks to the blasting air conditioner, but now she just appeared cross with him.

"Aw, Soph, don't be mean to Gar. Bad enough he's getting the cold shoulder from _one_ pretty lady. Two is just plain cruel." Matt clapped his friend roughly on the shoulders with his big hands, squeezing tightly after nearly sending the changeling lurching forward in his chair.

"Dude!" Garfield exclaimed, almost choking on his own saliva.

His friend merely snickered and squeezed harder, his long, thin fingers digging into Beast Boy's clavicle.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Curiosity seeped into Sophie's delicate features.

"Nothing! Don't listen to him! Everything is under complete control," refuted Beast Boy, but rather unconvincingly.

Sophie remained skeptical, but at least she didn't appear to be as annoyed anymore. Matt merely grinned wider, obviously enjoying the way Beast Boy squirmed when he was under a microscope. "He pissed off a certain birdie and now she won't return his calls. It's a total bummer and he's been moping about it ever since."

"I am _not_ moping! I don't _do_ mopey! It's not on my emotional spectrum!"

"You moped about dropping the pickles out of your veggie burger last night for like, three hours, Gar. You mope all the time," Sophie countered.

"Completely sober, mind you." Matt threw his head back and laughed loudly while Garfield opened and closed his mouth a series of times, somehow not capable of stringing together a sentence in his defense.

Eventually, he gave up and stared forlornly down into his lap, shameful.

"So, Raven's mad at you. Big deal. Didn't she like, always get mad at you when you guys were still Titans? I'm sure this'll blow over the same way it always has," Sophie said, dismissing his concerns with a flick of her wrist.

Yet again, the shapeshifter didn't quite know how to respond. He went from glancing meekly at Sophie to staring back down into his lap, feeling even worse than before, now that he was reminded of all the times their relationship had become strained as kids. It was true that Beast Boy had gotten under _all_ of his teammates' skin at some point or another, but with Raven, it had inarguably been at a more frequent rate. Maybe that was why he hadn't been too surprised when she'd left the team without saying good-bye – he had figured she'd probably grown sick of him by then.

 _Liar_ , a little voice whispered in the back of his mind.

There was more to it, he knew that. Like a pressing weight on his chest, the pain was long and crushing, and that was why he'd been pushing the memories back, pretending they didn't exist. He should have just been grateful that Raven was back in his life at all. He should have continued to ignore the urgently budding force that was so close to bursting through his mental defenses now that he'd left it to fester.

Ever since the day at the zoo, where she'd stumbled upon him, his hair glittering with droplets of water in the moonlight, the nagging feeling had started. Only, it had been small back then; insignificant enough to repress.

He'd been preoccupied back then. Too distracted by the very notion that he was seeing her again, in the flesh. Beast Boy might have mistaken the unsettling feeling in his gut for butterflies.

Raven was back.

She was back and she wanted to spend more time with him. She wanted to be _friends,_ like he'd always wanted. It had been like a childhood wish finally being realized.

So then, _why_? Why was he feeling sick to his stomach just thinking about her now?

"I don't know about that," Lee said, setting down the guitar he'd been tuning and drawing Garfield out of his own dreary state-of-mind. "I haven't seen Gar this bummed out since he came close to winning a set of Backstreet Boys tickets on a radio show contest."

"Aw, I wanted to go! Would you have taken me, Gar?" Ed pleaded earnestly, batting his lashes at the changeling.

Matt raised his hands to his face and balled them into fists, taking a boxer's stance. "You'd have had to fight _me_ for them, kid!"

"Is anyone here actually going to practice?" Sophie groaned with a roll of her eyes, watching the two boys throw fake punches at one another while dancing their feet as they circled the room.

Lee settled next to her and threw his arm casually over the head of the blonde's chair. "Doubtful. The heart of the team is out for the count, and when that happens, no one wants to focus."

"I'm sorry, guys. I'll get out of this funk by next week, I promise," Beast Boy apologized, somehow feeling even worse than he already did.

"You better. We've got a major gig coming up, and these two knuckleheads still haven't learned their parts yet." Lee threw a penny at the brawling boys, and it whipped past Matt's head, garnering their immediate attention.

"Hey! You almost hit me!" the tall, lanky teen exclaimed.

Lee chuckled. "That was the point, idiot."

"What did you guys even argue about, Gar?" Sophie's inflection had changed; there was a softness to her voice as she probed him now, her gaze losing its edge and her eyes becoming like a clear, blue mirror.

The brilliant shade was always calming to him, like the gentle ebb and flow of the ocean waves.

"I…don't even know, to tell you the truth. The last time we hung out, we went back to the Tower, and all I did was ask her why she wanted to go back there. Typical Raven, she deflected and got upset when I called her out on it. Now she won't return any of my texts, and it's been like…almost three weeks," he replied dejectedly. It was as if saying it aloud helped him piece together the problem. "I thought about popping by her work to talk things out, but…I figured that might only make things worse, if memory serves me right."

 _Give her time and space, Gar. You can't rush things with Raven._

Even now, Dick's voice echoed in his ears, and it made him want to scream in frustration, just like it had years ago.

"Girls," Matt tsked, shaking his head, "always so complicated."

That earned him an icy glare from Sophie. "Hey! That's not true," she argued, before returning her attention to the sullen, green shapeshifter. "Whatever it is, I'm sure Raven has a valid reason. She probably just needs some time to think of a way to explain herself."

She was right, of course. He knew that, somewhere deep down, amidst all the guilt and gut-wrenching feelings he was currently experiencing. With Raven, it seemed, it was always a waiting game as to when he'd be the one to upset her. His teammates would often urge him to be patient, just as Sophie was now. Forcing anything between them because he was always in a rush, and worried that he'd somehow messed up for good, wasn't going to make things better.

"She means a lot to you, huh?"

Lee's smoke-laden voice made Garfield look up at his friends situated around the small table of their studio room, all eyeing him uncertainly. The lead singer's observation seemed to have caught everyone off guard, including the changeling himself. Lee lit up a cigarette before getting comfortable in his spot next to Sophie again.

Beast Boy gulped. "Wh-what do you mean? Raven's my friend. Of course she's important to me."

Lee took a long drag from the cigarette, and made sure to puff out the smoke away from Sophie's face, his eyes closed, as if in contemplation. " _Is_ she a friend?" The words hung in the air, heavy and accusing. Lee pressed on, "Remember, this is the same girl who walked out on your team without a word, and has basically ignored your existence for almost a decade despite living in the same city, right? Can you really call her a friend just because she decided to pop back up into your life randomly?"

Sophie elbowed him hard in the ribs, making Lee almost choke on his cigarette. "What the hell, Lee?!"

He sputtered angrily, and removed his arm from around Sophie, giving her as much bite as she had given him. He snarled, "What?! You're all thinking it, and you know it! I'm sorry if the truth hurts, but that's how it is! Someone needs to tell him before he gets his heart trampled on all over again!"

"That doesn't give you the right to be a total _ass_ about it!" Sophie snapped, leering into Lee's face, unabashed. "We don't even know anything about Raven, or why she's back! What if she genuinely wants to fix her mistakes? What if she wants to repair the friendship because she realized her own shortcomings? People change! They grow up, they mature, and with them, so do their priorities. We can regret things and long to make them right, and I for one, think Raven deserves a second chance!" Sophie paused, her gaze darting briefly back to the shapeshifter. "If Gar wants to give it to her, that is."

Both Sophie and Lee then returned to glaring at one other, evidently no longer the happy couple they'd previously appeared to be. Matt just shook his head while Ed pretended to pick at his bass guitar uncomfortably. Tension between the power pair was not uncommon, and something the rest of their friends had simply grown accustomed to. Their on-and-off-again relationship only ever came in two settings after all.

After a moment of deafening silence, Lee finally backed off a little, choosing to scoff and fold his arms over his chest, his cigarette hanging in-between his fingers. "Didn't she just happen to stumble on Gar at the zoo? If she was so hellbent on trying to salvage their _friendship_ ," he air-quoted the word _friendship_ , "then why didn't she actually try and reach out to him?"

Before Sophie could utter more than a syllable, Lee raised his hand to pause her before opting to explain himself more cordially. "Look, all I'm saying is, Gar needs to be cautious. Maybe Raven's intentions _are_ good, like you say, but that doesn't mean he has to be super lenient and apologetic every time she makes it seem like he's fucked up. He's got a right to those answers and he's also got a right to be pissed when she doesn't offer them, especially since the whole team abandoned him, _including_ Raven."

"What do you got against Raven, anyways, Lee? Did she murder your first-born child in a previous life or somethin'?" Matt asked, bouncing his knee nervously. Garfield recognized it as a twitch the kid had whenever he felt emboldened to say something to someone he considered a role model, or authority.

"I don't have anything against her! She seems like a cool chick, and it was great hanging out with the Teen Titans! I just…can't help but feel like it's _strange_ she suddenly wants to be friends with Gar again, and then gets pissed over nothing and gives him the silent treatment." Lee was back on the defensive, running a shaky hand through his oiled, dark hair.

"Can you all stop talking about me like I'm not even in the room?"

Beast Boy stood suddenly, his chair scraping loudly against the tiled floors, his hands balled into tight, angry fists at his sides. His gaze, however, remained focused on the ground, while he clenched his jaw in barely contained rage.

"I appreciate your concerns, but quite frankly, it's none of your business. If we're not going to practice, I have dishes to do and work in the morning, so I'll see you guys later."

He didn't bother giving any of them the chance to intervene – somewhere, he thought he heard Sophie call after him, her chair moving – but he chalked it all up to his imagination, and kept on walking after he'd grabbed his coat and his car keys.

He'd only realized it was raining once he'd slammed the door shut behind him, the sound of the gentle drizzle annoyingly peaceful compared to his internal rage. Beast Boy raced down the parking lot towards his car, feeling the cool droplets soak his skin and bleed through his clothes. He fiddled with his keys, his fingers a slippery, trembling mess, until he finally managed to unlock his door and climb in, shutting the rain out. A few drops rolled down the side of his face and his nose, and he wiped at them with the sleeve of his jacket. There was nothing he could do about the ones sliding down his back, however. The rain fell against his windshield in sheets, blurring his view of the outside world, but he'd hoped no one had followed him. He wasn't in the mood anymore.

In fact, he was still shaking.

Beast Boy then felt his pockets for his cellphone, upon recalling the very reason he'd stormed out, only to find them empty.

"Shit!" he cursed, slamming his fists against the steering wheel.

He'd left it on the table in his haste to get away. Part of him knew he ought to go back in to retrieve it, but his ego was hurt, and facing them again, as well as all their accusations, was not a task he felt he was up for. in his current emotional state

So, instead, he stayed in his car, and sulked.

He sulked, because he couldn't seem to find the courage to start up the vehicle, nor could he swallow his pride and face an onslaught of worrying questions from his friends. Garfield felt as if he were rooted in time, except time moved on without him, all around him. He brought his forehead down to the steering wheel and stared down at nothing, clutching the grips until his knuckles paled. He squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to do away with all the painful memories coming back and hitting him like a freight train.

Unfortunately, he couldn't fight it anymore. He couldn't keep pretending that everything was fine when he was so close to losing her again, indefinitely.

Try as he might, he couldn't shake the teeth-chattering feeling. It was all he could think about – the day on the rooftop, where it all went so horribly _wrong_ …

* * *

 _Ten years ago, Titans Tower rooftop_

"You sure you want to leave it at that?" Cyborg took a seat next to the slumped over, smaller-framed boy on the very edge of the Tower roof.

Beast Boy kicked his feet, staring down to the grounds where they'd all once trained, laughed, and even fought criminals. Maybe had a picnic or two. Now it was empty, and the leaves had fallen off the trees, crinkled and dead, to be picked up by the wind and led elsewhere. He sighed heavily, shaking in the slight cold of the early winter season.

"Not really, but it's as good as it's going to get, you know?" he surmised with a shrug, but his heart wasn't in it.

The outside of the Tower felt as naked and cold as the inside – almost nothing was left. Funny how even the weather mimicked the glumness that all the Titans were encumbered with. The sun wasn't even out despite it being the early afternoon.

"You don't sound so sure, B. Maybe you two ought to talk things out before…" Victor trailed off, his normally upbeat attitude and good cheer lost somewhere beyond the metal that made up most of his body.

"Before everyone leaves for good? You can say it, Cy," Garfield finished for him. "You're worried I'll miss my chance before I can make things right, and that I'll never get it back again. That she'll disappear for good, and we'll never have a reason to talk again."

Cyborg didn't say anything. He kept his gaze fixated on the horizon, his mouth a tight line.

Beast Boy sighed once more; he'd been doing a lot of that lately. "I know you're right. But the truth is, I don't think it'll matter…"

"She doesn't hate you, B. Raven just needs some time to come around, you'll see. All this…" Cyborg motioned around him, at the bleakness of it all, "it's just bad timing."

"Is it? I've been trying to get close to her since the beginning, Cy. Nothing worked. The harder I tried, the more she pushed me away. If she really doesn't want us to keep in touch after all this…I-I have to be fine with that…At some point, I need to just _give up_." His arms felt like lead between his legs, and it was like gravity was pulling him down, however many stories high, right to the cold, hard pavement of the ground.

Victor stood up with a heavy groan, and he stretched out his robotic limbs, eyeing the spot in the sky where the sun would have been if the Earth wasn't choked up with grey, sombre clouds. "I don't think you mean that. And to prove it, I _know_ you're going to wait for her here, right before she leaves, and the two of you are gonna have a heart-to-heart. Sort this all out. In the end, you both want the same thing. Try and remember that."

With his piece said, Victor turned to leave so that he could finish shutting down the remaining systems of the Tower, giving Garfield the time and space he needed to digest the small bit of wisdom he'd imparted on him. Beast Boy might have smiled at how well Victor knew him if he hadn't been so torn up and miserable about everything.

It was a shame that, regardless of all his good intentions, Beast Boy eventually fell asleep up there waiting for her. By the time he awoke thanks to the new, biting cold of the evening winds nipping at his exposed skin, she'd already taken off and was almost a dot in the sky…

"Raven!" he'd exclaimed in vain, stumbling to his feet and racing towards the edge of the rooftop, stretching out his hand towards her blue silhouette, as if he could somehow touch her and bring her back.

His hand eventually dropped back to his side, his feeble heart feeling like it weighed its worth in stones, falling to the very pits of his stomach, where bile licked and ate at his aching muscle. He stared emptily as she vanished right before his eyes, like he was in a lucid dream he couldn't wake up from.

A nightmare.

She never did hear his cries, of course.

But worse than that, she hadn't even bothered to say good-bye…

* * *

He slipped in and out of dreams, and not the pleasant kind.

Beast Boy hated nights like this. His room was stuffy and humid no matter how wide open his window was, and every time he thought he could wake up to face the day, he'd realize only an hour had passed since the last time he'd woken up unexpectedly.

He cracked open a single eye from his position where half his face was buried in his pillow, his arm dangling off the edge of his bed, and his legs hanging off the other end. The sheets were twisted and knotted around his naked frame, barely covering any part of him, while his comforter had fallen to the floor at some point in the night.

As the blaring red lights of his alarm clock on his bedside table came to focus, he was beginning to realize it was a persistent _restlessness_ antagonizing him on this night, and not just horrible, vivid memories disguised as dreams.

It was barely even dawn yet. The stars and moon were still out, and according to his clock, it was only three hours past midnight. Also, it was raining again, the soft pitter-patter of water tapping against his windowpanes like a gentle reminder.

He made to reach for where his cellphone would be on his nightstand, only for his clumsy fingers to fall upon an empty, cold space. It was then that he recalled how he'd left it behind while being too consumed with his own anger. He kicked himself mentally and groaned.

As reality set in all over again, so too did the feeling of utter defeat – like being sucker punched in the gut when it was least expected. He rubbed at his eyes and tried not to think about why it was his own body was revolting against him.

That was when he heard it. The banging.

It was faint at first, and he'd almost thought it was part of the oncoming headache he was about to experience from lack of sleep. However, the further he drifted out of his dreamscapes, the louder it got and the more unnatural it seemed compared to the gentle lull of night rain pouring in from his window.

His eyes shot open, and he pricked his ears, adrenaline working in his veins as his instincts kicked in. Beast Boy bolted out of bed, tossing the crisp, white linen aside like it was paper. He quickly donned a pair of boxer briefs and made his way out of his room, being sure not to turn on any lights.

Whoever it was, they seemed hellbent on breaking down the apartment door, or, in the least, getting Beast Boy and his fellow tenant evicted because of the loud noise complaint they were probably in store for. Garfield briefly shook his head and chuckled to himself when he passed by his roommate's closed bedroom door and heard his loud, lazy snores from the other side. He probably could have slept through an earthquake, Beast Boy surmised.

As the banging persisted, the changeling carefully tiptoed on towards the foyer where it grew louder, grabbing an umbrella from the closet nearby before leaning in to peer out the peephole of the front door.

Beast Boy's eyes went wide at what he saw, and he stepped back to rub at them, as if he was sure he might still be dreaming. But the loud, rambunctious noise continued, and the scent that wafted in from the other side was confirmation that what he'd seen was _real_.

He threw off the chain and unlocked the door, halting the incessant knocking immediately. When it swung open, he stared down at a completely sodden and dishevelled Raven.

"Can I come in?" she asked, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

Her nose was running, and she rubbed at the pink tip while sniffling, both her clothes and jacket sopping wet. Beneath her hood, her hair was both wind-swept and matted down around her pale face, her cheeks rosy and moist. Garfield stared at her like she was a ghost in his hallway for a moment – a mirror from his dreams and his memories, here to mock him for thinking he could ever escape.

She seemed…somehow frail in the strange light of the building complex, her pale fingers just barely escaping the edges of her long, damp sleeves. But Beast Boy knew better than to ever presume the empath was helpless.

Not knowing what to say, Beast Boy stepped aside silently, holding the heavy door open and allowing her to walk inside. Her wet boots squelched loudly against the tiled floors, and she removed her hood once past the threshold, fingers working quickly to fix her erratic hair. She bent down and took off her boots, tossing them aside to reveal equally wet stockings. Then, without glancing back at him, she meandered to the kitchen, flicked on the light, and poured herself a glass of water, all the while Garfield watched her with apprehensive curiosity.

When she'd taken a long gulp of the cool beverage, she finally turned to appraise him, her purple gaze falling immediately to the umbrella in his hand.

"Were you going to beat me up with that?" Raven asked, raising a sable-coloured brow.

He looked down at his hands, as if he'd forgotten all about the banging intruder and the umbrella, before sheepishly tucking it away in the closet by the door.

"No, I…" Beast Boy faltered.

He had _so_ many questions.

His mind was reeling with them.

Not to mention, his emotions were also on the fritz. He didn't know what to feel first; anger, irritation, confusion, relief? All of the above?

Raven was in his apartment.

 _Raven_.

The girl at the centre of all his thoughts, and even his life lately.

So, instead, he stood there like a bumbling fool. Clad in his cherries and bananas underwear, just staring at her because he didn't know what _else_ to do.

"You didn't answer your phone," Raven said, her gravelly tone filling the otherwise thick silence in the room.

"Uh, yeah, I didn't."

"Oh. Were you…ignoring me?" Raven let her gaze drop, like she was almost ashamed to even ask.

Beast Boy scratched at the back of his leg with the toes of his other leg. "No. I left it at the studio room we rented."

He shook his head then, perplexed and wanting to guide the conversation back to her. "Rae, why are you here? It's three in the morning, you were banging on my door like Trigon was on your heels, and you're soaked to the bone."

She put the glass away, and grabbed the electric tea kettle to fill with water. Without looking at him, she said, "You didn't answer your phone when I called. Matt did."

Garfield pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, the steady thrum of his sleep-deprived headache somehow getting worse. "Yeah, so? I forgot my phone, and besides, if anyone was doing the ignoring here…" He stopped immediately, regretting his words the second they'd slipped out.

Raven was plugging in the kettle, and digging through his pantry for teabags. She pulled out _two_ mugs. One of them was his favourite worn-in, green bear mug that read _bearly awake_ with a sleepy grizzly's face below the font. Starfire had gotten it for him for Christmas a few years back.

"He said you couldn't come to the phone because you were too busy being mad at everybody. He said it was _my_ fault and that I had to fix things between us. That I was…" she paused and tapped an index finger against the point of her chin, staring up at the ceiling in thought. "That I was breaking apart the _famiglia_ , as he put it."

Beast Boy groaned, rubbing his hands down his face before stumbling towards the couch and belly flopping down into the cushions. He groaned some more, but this time it was muffled. He then turned his head so that he could see her standing there in the kitchen, a black smudge against all the white tiles and counters in the backdrop.

"Is that why you're here at this hour? Because _Matt_ asked you to?" he probed.

Raven tucked a wet strand of hair behind her ear, still sniffling, and evidently still cold because of all her wet clothes.

"I…don't know. I couldn't sleep, but I also needed time to think."

"I get that, Rae. I do, but _you're_ the one who left in the first place. I never wanted any of that." He couldn't even ascertain if he was talking about the present or the past anymore. The memories were still so fresh in his mind, as if even now, he knew she was ready to leave forever and not look back.

A bird free from its shackles and cage.

He sat up, but didn't relent. There was no going back anymore. "Do you think about it? Do you regret it at all?"

The kettle began to whistle as the water came to a boil.

Raven folded her arms over her chest and pouted. "The team fell apart, Gar. It happened. Nothing you or I could have done to stop it."

"You didn't even consider it, did you? Even now, you can't even say it to my face."

There was a slip in her mask, like he'd caught her off guard, but he wasn't done yet. His heart was pounding. "The team didn't fall apart, Rae. They _decided_ to leave. You were all I had left." He couldn't help the weakness that caused his own voice to crack.

Beast Boy then stood up and walked towards her. Raven seemed to shrink deeper within her oversized hoodie, so much like the cloak he'd been used to seeing her wear when they'd still been teenagers. "You were all I had left, and even _you_ didn't want a fate stuck with me, of rebuilding the team _together_. You couldn't handle telling it to me straight because you knew how cruel it was, so you just took off, because it was easier than dealing with the elephant in the room, wasn't it? It was easier than facing the guilt of the decision you made for the _both_ of us!"

She stood still, letting him take it out on her, all the while her expression remained placid and indescribable. His face felt hot and tingly, his heartbeat in his ears. She was so calm, and he was so _hurt_.

He should have been okay by now after all these years, but the trip to the Tower, and her leaving him behind a second time had opened the floodgates and bled out old wounds, making him relive that day over and over again, even in his dreams.

Dick deciding that he needed to be free of Batman's persona – to create his own as Nightwing. Kory opting to go with him, because she loved him more than the Earth and stars themselves. Cyborg's invitation to the Justice League, and his hesitancy in accepting it because he had been terrified of leaving behind his team.

And Raven.

Silent as ever, the only person Beast Boy had felt would _understand_. Surely, she had been about to lose her family – _her home_ – too. Surely, she'd fight for it with him. But just like now, Raven was void in expression when he needed her to react. Instead, he was the one alone, the one being left behind, as his world came crashing down around him yet again.

"I do."

Her voice, calm and empty, filled his ears, and it was then that he'd noticed he had somehow fallen to his knees before her, staring down at the cold, white tiled floor, and the black hose of her feet.

She joined him on the ground, her flowery perfume fragrant in his nose when her fingers stroked the sides of his hair, cold and dainty. "I do regret it, Garfield. Not a day goes by that I don't."

He looked up into the violet storm of her eyes, and found her pained smile, however small. Her fingers were still nestled in his hair, wrapped intimately within the jade-coloured strands. "I shouldn't have left without speaking to you first, but you're right. I was a coward. I was afraid, and I thought I'd be better off alone. I thought _you'd_ be better off without me. I know now that I was wrong, and I'm sorry."

She whispered the apology in his ear over and over like a breathy mantra, coming to cradle his head against her chest, her hair falling forward like an obsidian curtain that swallowed all light.

"I'm sorry, Gar…"

If he didn't know her any better, he'd have thought the brush of her lips against his temple was a kiss she'd quickly changed her mind on, but thinking about that only served to complicate his emotions even more.

They stayed that way for a while, with her holding him and Garfield not knowing what to do, his heart still beating like it were possessed. Despite her wet clothes, her core was still warm, and her lilac-scented perfume was strongest where his nose was pressed, right against the bone between her breasts.

The tea kettle was done, and it clicked as it reached optimal temperature, shutting off. It was the only noise in the kitchen outside of their own soft breathes. Garfield's eyes remained wide open, staring at everything, and seeing nothing.

Maybe an apology wasn't going to be enough to bridge the rift that had settled between them years ago, from the moment they'd met. Maybe it wouldn't have answered any of his questions of what could have been, had Raven decided to stay and help recruit new members for a team both of them could have led.

However, Garfield Logan had never been a man good at holding grudges against any of his friends, no matter what their transgression. So, to him, something as simple as an apology and an uncharacteristic display of affection from the typically frigid girl meant the world in his eyes.

More importantly, it meant that, maybe, he didn't have to be all alone anymore…

* * *

 **A/N:** _I felt like I needed to touch on this issue a bit more, especially since I planned to from the beginning. A lot of people asked me how Gar can be so forgiving of the Titans after basically abandoning him, and from what I've read and seen of his character, I know he's the type to forgive and forget, even if the offending party never acknowledges their wrong-doings. Obviously, this only applies to close friends, as with strangers and enemies, he certainly does hold grudges. Anyways, I hope this helped answer those questions of how I think Beast Boy handles situations like this, especially when he's no longer a teenager. Thanks for reading and all the support! :)_


End file.
